


Livin' on a Prayer

by robinwritesallthethings



Series: Dacre Montgomery Characters [4]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Supernatural (Stranger Things), Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, F/M, Family, Grinding, Hair Pulling, Heavy Petting, Language, Loss of Virginity, Marking, Masturbation, Mechanic Billy Hargrove, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Oral Sex, Physical Abuse, Pregnant Sex, Romance, Rough Sex, Self-Insert, Slurs, Spanking, Stalking, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Thriller, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, We All Know Billy Hargrove Goes Commando, Wholesome Brother Billy Hargrove
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:55:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22579723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinwritesallthethings/pseuds/robinwritesallthethings
Summary: Billy Hargrove takes his stepsister and runs to keep her away from his abusive father after her parents disappear. When they end up in Hawkins, Indiana, Billy hopes that the nightmare is over, but when he falls in love, he realizes that it’s only just begun.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Original Female Character(s), Billy Hargrove/Robin Ballard (robinwritesallthethings)
Series: Dacre Montgomery Characters [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939606
Comments: 91
Kudos: 62





	1. Rock Me Like a Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy arrives in Hawkins, but he's completely unprepared to start his new life.

Billy Hargrove tapped his fingers against the wheel and reluctantly slowed down as he passed the sign announcing that he’d officially arrived in Hawkins, Indiana. While he’d been on the road, it was easy to ignore the reality of where he was going and what he was doing, but now that the trip was almost over, the enormity of what he was undertaking was crashing down on him, and he wasn’t sure he could handle it.

“Finally,” Maxine Mayfield muttered, trying to stretch in the seat next to him and failing. “We’ve been stuck in this tin can for days.”

“Don’t fucking test me right now, Max,” he replied through gritted teeth, using her preferred nickname. “This is about to be hard enough without us being at each other’s throats, all right? I need you to work with me here.”

“Why are you complaining to me?” she mumbled. “It’s your fault that we’re here.”

“You think I want to be here?” he shouted back, all of his patience quickly gone. “You smell that, Max?” He gestured to the open window. “That’s actually shit. Cow shit.”

“I don’t see any cows,” she grumbled, crossing her arms and staring out across the dull brown landscape.

“Whatever, Max. That’s not the point,” Billy sighed, trying to rein himself back in. “You know why we have to be here.”

“I know. We’re stuck here.”

“You’re right. We’re stuck here.”

“Which is your fault,” she repeated under her breath.

Billy’s face twisted in disdain and he slammed on the gas pedal, speeding up again, trying to vent his rage onto the road instead of on the girl sitting beside him. “You know whose fault it is, Max,” he growled. “Say it.”

“Neil’s,” she whispered. Her lower lip trembled and she bit it in an effort not to cry. “It’s Neil’s.”

Billy nodded. “It’s Neil’s,” he agreed. “So we just have to make the best of it. You’re thirteen. If you want to take off on me in five years, fine. That’s up to you.”

“I’m definitely doing that,” she insisted. “Because you’re an asshole. Just like him.”

Billy slammed on the brakes as he turned onto their street. “Shut your mouth right now,” he demanded, pointing a finger at her. “I am an asshole, yes. I’ll give you that. But I am not like him.”

His hands clenched on the wheel and he took a deep breath as he added softly, “I refuse to be like him.”

A heavy silence hung between them. Billy was on the verge of saying something more serious, but then Max shook her head. “Whatever,” she snorted, ending the conversation. “Can we just get there so we have some space?”

And just like that, the moment was over. Billy tapped the gas and they inched forward. “This should be the street our rental’s on,” he told her. “Cherry Lane. Look for 4819.”

Max stared steadfastly out the window as Billy inched along the street. “Wrong side, Max,” he said sarcastically.

She turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. He literally bit his tongue to keep himself from yelling at her. She was determined not to be helpful at this point, so he might as well let her. It would just be easier for him to do everything on his own anyway.

“Here we are,” he announced, trying to sound cheerful and horribly failing.

He backed into the driveway so getting the boxes out of the car would be easier. As soon as he killed the engine, Max was out, on her skateboard, and taking off down the street.

Billy jumped out of the car and called after her over the hood. “Hey! You don’t even have our phone number to let me know where you are!”

Her only answer was to flip him off as she disappeared around the corner. He blew out a breath and shrugged to himself. “Well, she didn’t yell it that time,” he reminded himself. “That’s progress, right?”

He stripped off his jean jacket and tossed it back into the car, stretching out his arms. He might as well get all of the boxes inside so he could start unpacking. That way he might have at least a slight chance of relaxing tonight.

****

Across the street, Robin Ballard watched the newcomers from her kitchen window. She laughed quietly to herself as the girl took off angrily. Typical teenager. Of course, she was still a teenager too, but she was eighteen. Legally, she was an adult, and even a few years made a pretty big difference during adolescence.

The boy was around her age, she was guessing. His hair, his body, and his car all pointed to the boisterous confidence of a teenage boy who knew everyone was looking at him. But the deer in the headlights look that had flashed across his face when the girl had left and he had called after her? That had been the biggest clue. He had no idea what he was doing.

Robin found it cute, to be honest. The girl had to be his sister. Maybe his stepsister. They didn’t exactly look related. Robin had only seen a flash as the girl skated away, but she had obviously been fair with red hair. His skin was slightly darker, like he had a tan, almost, except that there were no lines that she could see. And his hair was dirty blond.

He looked positively dreamy in his tight jeans and white tank top. He even made the mullet look good. It fell over his shoulders and forehead in artful styled curls. It seemed like he’d be unpacking all alone, unless his parents were coming along soon.

After debating it for just a moment, Robin decided to untie her apron, wash her hands, and head on over to greet him. Unfortunately, she didn’t have anything to bring at the moment, but she would later. She could go back over with a gift when they were more settled.

She wrapped a sweater around herself before stepping out into the crisp October air. It was an unusually nice day for the time of year, but it was still chilly. The boy across the street would probably be comfortable in no sleeves since he was carrying boxes, but she wasn’t, at least not yet.

She looked both ways before crossing the street, waving at him when he opened the garage and came back outside. “Hi. I’m Robin Ballard. I live across the street and wanted to say hello.”

The boy blinked. “Hello,” he replied shortly, not offering any other information.

He stuck his head back into the car to fish out another box. He clearly wasn’t interested in talking, but Robin decided she wasn’t willing to give up that easily.

“Can I help?” she offered as he stood back up, smiling at him.

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. “No.”

This time, her face fell a little. She was just trying to be nice. Even more, she’d been hoping she might have found someone who could be at least a friend, if not more.

“Sorry to intrude,” she apologized, turning to leave.

She was hoping he’d stop her, but he didn’t. She leaned back against her front door once she was inside and sighed. That had gone much worse than she’d expected.

She returned to the kitchen and started working again. She had several people coming over to pick up orders today, and she couldn’t afford to lose business because she was busy moping over a boy she didn’t even know.

She couldn’t help keeping an eye on the house across the street through the window, though, as she cooked. It didn’t take long for the boy to put all the boxes inside the house. He didn’t seem to have much. Maybe there was a moving truck coming later.

Robin was just putting another batch of stuffed peppers in the oven when her doorbell rang. She glanced through the peephole before answering. She’d been expecting an early client, so she was surprised to see him through the glass instead.

To be fair, he didn’t exactly seem happy to be there. His hands were shoved into his back pockets and he was tapping his foot impatiently. For a second, Robin thought about not answering because he’d been so rude to her earlier, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.

So she cracked the door and smiled. It was a small smile, but it was there. “Can I help you?” she asked rather formally, trying not to be too excited.

“Yeah,” the boy replied curtly. “Is there an arcade in town?”

Still no name, and no explanation. She could guess, of course. He was probably looking for the girl from earlier.

What he couldn’t hide, though, was his reaction to the smell wafting into the front hall from the kitchen. The peppers she was cooking were stuffed with ground beef, onions, rice, and tomato sauce, and they smelled delicious.

Her smile turned into a bit of a smirk. He was human after all, and now she knew exactly what she was bringing to his house later.

“Turn left off Cherry,” she finally explained. “That will take you to Main Street. All of the businesses in town are there. The arcade is at the other end.”

He was already turning and walking back to his car. “Thanks!” he hollered, waving his hand dismissively over his shoulder at her.

She closed the door without saying anything, shaking her head to herself as she went back to the kitchen to make another batch of peppers.

****

Billy peeled out of the driveway. Fuck driving slow. He needed to be fast and angry right now. He needed to try to forget that this was his life and there was nothing he could do about it. If this was going to end up being his one reckless outlet, so be it.

He headed for the arcade, trying not to think about the girl he’d talked to. Or not talked to, rather. He’d seen her look on girls’ faces before. It was a look of interest, of hope.

Normally, he would have taken her out and slept with her a few times. But he couldn’t afford to get distracted here. He had responsibilities now. He couldn’t spend his nights out, and he couldn’t deal with a bunch of girls mooning after him because he didn’t want a relationship.

And he couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt because they were associated with him. If his father ever found them, there was no telling what he would do, and Billy couldn’t put anyone in that position. It wouldn’t be fair.

Besides, she seemed sweet. She’d been polite, and she was pretty. Not pretty because she was trying, either. He could spot the kind of girl you didn’t take for a quick ride and drop a few weeks later from a mile away, and she was one of them. Even if he wasn’t off the market, he would never be good enough for someone like her.

He might have overdone it a bit with the rudeness, though. He didn’t have to be her best friend or anything, but she did live right across the street, and it couldn’t hurt to have someone on his side in case there was an emergency. He’d have to think about potentially smoothing it over later, if only for the sake of practicality.

He pulled up outside the arcade and let the car idle for a moment. He wanted to yell at Max for taking off, but he didn’t want to at the same time. Like he’d said before, this situation was neither of their faults. It was all on their parents, but unfortunately, they were the ones who had to deal with the consequences.

Before he could park, Max was getting into the car beside him. “Sorry,” she said right away.

He nodded. “Did you have a good time?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I guess. I beat the high score on their Dig Dug machine.”

“Cool.” He paused, continuing to stare straight ahead as he spoke. “Look, I get that you needed a break. We both did. We both still do. But I can’t have you running off without telling me where you’re going. I’m not saying I’m going to monitor your every move or not let you hang out or follow you everywhere, but if I don’t know where to find you and when to get worried, I’m going to lose my mind, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed quietly.

“I’m sorry it had to be like this,” he added. He might as well get it all out now before things went back to being really tense again. “I know what being abandoned is like. I’m sorry your mom got back with your dad and they left you behind. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me, because I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. But I wasn’t going to leave you with Neil. I got left with him, and look what happened to me.”

She laughed lightly. “Yeah. You’re definitely a douchebag.”

“Right?” he chuckled in agreement.

“Look, I get it,” she assured him. “I really do. I know it’s going to take a while to get used to. Maybe I’ll never really get used to it. But I do appreciate it. So when I act like a bitch, just remember that I said it today, all right? And I’ll remember that you did it for my own good.”

“Deal,” Billy said. “Now let’s go home and figure out what we’re doing for the rest of the night.”

“Sounds good.”

She clutched her skateboard to her chest as Billy drove them back home. He knew that their little truce wasn’t going to fix everything, but at least it was a start.


	2. I Wanna Dance With Somebody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin persists in trying to get to know her new neighbors.

Robin watched the neighbors return through her kitchen window, smiling as the alarm on her oven went off. “Perfect timing,” she said to herself.

She moved to the stove and took the latest batch of peppers out, sprinkling the cheese on, then putting the pan back in so it could melt.

While it did, she cleaned herself up a bit, brushing off her clothes and making sure her messy bun was still fashionably messy and not just generally messy. When the alarm went off again, she grabbed the picnic basket she’d already packed and the pan before heading across the street.

She took a deep breath, then knocked on the door, balancing everything with one arm. She wondered if the boy was even going to answer when the door swung open and he looked at her and everything she was carrying nervously.

As he leaned against the doorframe expectantly, she launched into the speech she’d rehearsed at least a dozen times while she was cooking. “Look, I realize that you don’t want company, and that’s fine. But I noticed that it was just the two of you, and since you’ve just moved in, I thought you might enjoy a home-cooked meal. I’ll just leave this here and you can return the dishes whenever you’re finished with them. You know where I am.”

He tilted his head as she finished, clearly unable to help the smirk that appeared on his lips. She blushed in response, then laughed self-consciously. “That was, uh, all I came up with. I wasn’t sure how long you’d keep the door open.”

“That’s fair,” he replied, licking his lower lip. “Um…”

She barked out a laugh. “Are you seriously trying to think of a way to turn down a free dinner?” she asked incredulously.

Before he could respond, the girl from earlier peeked her head out around him. “What smells so good?” She glanced up at Robin. “Who are you?”

Robin’s eyes flicked to the boy, then back to the girl. When he didn’t say anything to stop her, she answered, “I’m Robin Ballard. I live across the street. I brought dinner.”

“Cool.” She looked up at the boy and then hit him in the chest. “Are you going to invite her in or what? I’m hungry.”

He laughed, rubbing his hand over his face as the girl retreated back into the house. “Why don’t you come on in?” he finally offered, stepping back and holding the door open for her.

She blinked, shocked that he wasn’t just taking the food from her. “Thank you,” she murmured, moving over the threshold quickly before he could change his mind.

“The kitchen is, uh, this way,” he gestured as he fell into step beside her.

She smiled. “I know,” she admitted. “I used to visit Norman Warner a lot when he lived here. He died last year. His son couldn’t sell the house, and he lives in New York City, so that’s why he’s renting it.”

She noticed that all of Norman’s furniture was still here. Maybe that was why they’d had so few things when they’d arrived. They didn’t really need much if all of this was included as part of the rental.

“Well, good to know my landlord won’t be all over my ass, I guess. But that’s going to be a bitch of a commute if I ever need anything fixed.”

“Don’t break anything?” she suggested, setting everything down on the counter.

“What are we having?” the girl interrupted.

Robin started unpacking everything. “Stuffed peppers, garlic bread, and salad. I brought some sodas too.”

“Wow, thanks,” the girl said, grabbing one and loading up a plate. “Um, is it okay if I eat in my room?”

She glanced at the boy for confirmation. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, then he sighed. “Sure. Just don’t make a mess, okay?”

“I won’t.”

She disappeared down the hallway, leaving the two of them alone. Robin gestured to the food. “Help yourself, please.”

“Uh, thanks.” He rubbed the back of his neck, the impressive muscles in his arms flexing as he grabbed a plate. “I’m Billy, by the way. Billy…” He took a deep breath, then added, “Hargrove. Billy Hargrove.”

Robin frowned. Had he not wanted to tell her his last name? She couldn’t imagine why. She certainly didn’t recognize it.

He either didn’t notice or ignored the frown. “Kid is my stepsister. Maxine Mayfield. Max for short.”

Robin nodded. “Are your parents coming later, or…?”

He shook his head as he made himself a plate. “No. No parents. It’s just the two of us. They, um, died not too long ago.”

“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Robin said sincerely.

Billy shrugged. “Question made sense,” he pointed out. “It’s fine.” He set his plate on the table and sat down. “Are you eating?” he wondered.

She finally realized that she hadn’t moved yet. “Oh. Uh, yeah. Sorry.” She made her own plate and joined him at the table. He’d waited for her to start eating, she realized. “I think it’s sweet, by the way,” she confessed a little shyly. “That you’re taking care of her. That can’t be an easy thing to do, especially when you’re so young.”

He raised an eyebrow. “How do you know how old I am?”

“It’s just a guess,” she admitted. “Why?” she teased. “Would you prefer that I say you look older?”

He chuckled. “I guess that depends on how much older I look,” he decided. “I feel like she’s gonna make me age prematurely.”

Robin giggled. “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” she assured him kindly.

He snorted. “You’re too nice, I think. I’m eighteen,” he confirmed. “Just old enough to be legally responsible, but still young enough to not feel ready for it. But I didn’t have a choice, so I guess we’ll see what happens.”

“Was she at the arcade when you went to look for her?” Robin asked abruptly.

He looked at her, his brow furrowed. “Yeah. She was.”

“Did she argue with you about coming home?”

“No. No, she didn’t.”

“Then I’d say you’re off to a pretty good start.” She paused. “So why’d you do it? I mean, there are other options, aren’t there? Not that I’m trying to pry. I’m just… trying to get to know you, and this is not a thing an average teenager would do. At least I don’t think so.”

He stared at her for a moment. Long enough for her to notice how strikingly blue his eyes were. But under that beautiful ocean blue, they were also troubled. Deeply troubled. More than any teenager’s should have been, she thought.

“Because we’re family now, whether we like it or not,” he finally said. “So I’m stuck looking out for her. I know it doesn’t sound very noble or whatever, but that’s the way I see it.”

He took another big bite, she was sure to avoid talking about it anymore. “Well, I think it’s admirable,” she observed. “But we can talk about something else. Something fun, maybe? Music? Movies?”

He swallowed. “Why don’t you tell me a little about you?” he suggested.

“Tit for tat.” She nodded, giggling as he cracked a smile at the phrase. “Okay. Well, I live with my dad. He’s a door-to-door salesman, so he’s usually gone. I don’t have any siblings, either. I graduated high school last year, but it was a year early, so I’m still only eighteen. I started my own business and wanted to focus on that.”

“You own a business?” Billy asked. “What do you do?”

She pointed at his plate. “You’re eating it. I make home-cooked meals and people pick them up. I do a lot of bake sale stuff, some catering, but mostly just family dinners. If you hear anyone in town say their mom’s meatloaf rocks, it’s probably mine.”

He laughed as she winked at him. “That’s kinda funny,” he agreed. “I see why people buy from you,” he continued. “Everything is really good.”

“Thank you.” She beamed at him, unable to help herself. “I’m proud of it. I wasn’t sure I could really make a living from it because the town’s fairly small, but it turns out I can.”

“It’s really cool,” Billy told her.

“It means I’m home pretty much all the time,” she added. “So if you ever need anything, please feel free to ask. I wouldn’t mind helping at all, and it’s nice to have company sometimes.”

Billy nodded slowly. “I appreciate the offer.”

“But you’re not going to take me up on it?” she prodded him, smiling to make sure he knew she wasn’t bitter about it.

He set his fork down and leaned back since he was finished with his food, worrying his lower lip and staring at her. “It’s not that I’m not grateful,” he explained slowly, clearly trying to be careful with his wording. “And I don’t want to offend you. I just… don’t like being indebted to people, that’s all. It seems like a bad precedent to set.”

“Well,” she said, standing up to retrieve the tray of cookies she’d brought for dessert, “I promise that my offer comes with no strings attached, for whatever that’s worth.” She leaned into the hallway. “Max! There’s dessert if you want some!”

Billy grabbed a cookie, turning it over in his hands as Max came back into the room. “What kind are they?” she asked.

“Snickerdoodles,” Robin answered. “Basically just a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon and sugar.”

“Sounds good.” She grabbed a few. “Thanks again.”

Robin nodded, then sat back down in front of Billy. They finished dessert in silence. After, she put the leftovers in their fridge and left the tray of cookies wrapped up on the counter. “Just return the dishes and things whenever you’re done with them,” she told him. “Or give me a wave and I can pop over and get them.”

“Sure,” Billy agreed. “Thank you. It was great, really.”

“You’re welcome.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head toward the hallway. “I’ll just show myself out, all right? I’m sure you’re tired.”

And clearly done talking. She was surprised she’d gotten anything out of him at all, actually, so the night had gone better than she’d imagined it would. She’d take that for now and see what happened later.

She shivered slightly as she walked back home. The street was empty, despite the early hour. Everyone was either still out or already in for the night. It was also dark, and though the evenly spaced lamps on the sidewalks glowed brightly, it was easy to believe that there was evil hiding in the eerie pockets of shadow created by their harsh glare.

There was something vaguely sinister about Hawkins lately, even though it was a small town that was supposed to be safe. But it was coming up on the anniversary of the death of Barbara Holland and the disappearance of Will Byers. Even though that was all over, it was still like everyone was just holding their breath while they waited for something else horrifying to descend upon them.

Robin pulled her sweater tighter around her and quickly ran the rest of the way to her door. Once she was inside and it was locked behind her, she felt a little silly, even as she sighed in relief. There had been evil in the dark last year, sure, but there wasn’t anymore, and no one had ever come for her.

She headed back to the kitchen to give it one last clean before tomorrow. The kitchen was her sanctuary, and being in it would calm her down before bed.

She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that Billy was staring out of his too. Had he been watching to make sure she got home all right? She didn’t think so. If he had been, he wouldn’t still be looking, would he?

Then again, maybe he was still looking just so it didn’t seem like that’s what he’d been doing. Despite how standoffish he’d been all day and his obviously rough exterior, she thought that he was really very sweet. A boy his age didn’t take on the responsibility of raising his stepsister if he wasn’t. He could talk about obligation until he was blue in the face, but the fact remained that he had made the choice to do it, and that said a lot about him.

Robin had been alone for a long time. None of the high school boys had ever appealed to her, and she hadn’t appealed to them. She couldn’t help but think that a boy like Billy might be the one to finally change that. He was a little more complicated than the average teenager, just like her.

Of course, admitting the exact circumstances to him would be hard. But she thought she could do it if he was the right person.

Now she just had to deal with how to figure that out. No problem, right?

She shook her head and laughed to herself as she finished in the kitchen and went to get ready for bed. It seemed like an impossible puzzle at the moment, so she was better off starting to attempt to solve it tomorrow.


	3. Girls Just Want to Have Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin continues to be so helpful that Billy can’t say no.

“Are you watching that girl?”

Billy turned at the sound of Max’s voice. She was standing behind him in the living room, her arms loaded with her dinner dishes. His brow furrowed and he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before he shut the curtains and answered her.

“No, I wasn’t watching her,” he said shortly.

“Good. I like her, and I don’t want her to think you’re a creep. Even though you are.”

Billy turned and crossed his arms over his chest. “You can’t get close to her,” he ordered sternly. “You know that. It’s one thing to find some kids to hang out with after school or whatever, but we can’t let anybody in. Not really.”

Max shrugged. “I don’t know. She seemed kind of persistent. Are you sure she’s going to give up?”

“She’s just trying to be a nice neighbor,” Billy argued. “She has a business to run. She’ll get over it fast.”

“Then why did I hear her offer to help you with anything you needed?” Max insisted. “Don’t tell me you don’t wanna go over there and jump her bones. You sleep with every girl you see, Billy. I know you.”

He tensed, tapping his foot against the floor in an effort to keep his temper in check. “I’m done with that, Max. At least until you’re eighteen, all right? Once you’re legally an adult, Neil can still find you, but he can’t take you away anymore.”

The angry look on Max’s face softened as he spoke. “I know,” she murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“You know that’s who I was looking for, right? I was making sure he hasn’t somehow followed us already.”

“You think he really knows where we went? We were careful, weren’t we?” she asked nervously.

Billy sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “Of course we were, Max. But he’s not the type to give up. You know that. And the longer it takes him to find us, the angrier he’s going to be. Am I hoping he gets distracted by something, anything, and gives up? Of course I am. But we can’t assume that we’ll get that lucky.”

“Did she ask about our parents? What did you tell her?”

“That they were dead. That’s what you need to tell everybody too, remember? We can’t have a bunch of different stories floating around. It’ll look suspicious.”

She nodded, turning to finish her trek to the kitchen. Then she turned back to him briefly and softly admitted, “She might be good for you, you know. She seems nice.”

Billy snorted. “I don’t do nice, Max. You know that. Besides, even if I wanted to, I can’t put her in that position. You know that if Neil found us, he’d hurt her to get to me. I ran to keep you from getting hurt. I’m not going to invite someone else in to get hurt too.”

Max nodded again. “Okay,” she whispered.

Billy parted the curtains and glanced out the window one more time, listening to the clatter of Max’s dishes landing in the sink. He knew that he had to let both of them live their lives, but that didn’t mean he was going to stop looking over his shoulder. Not for a while.

“You going to bed?” he wondered when Max came back through the living room.

“Yeah.”

“Let me know if you need anything. If you think you hear something, wake me up, okay? I mean it. Don’t worry about pissing me off.”

“I promise.”

Billy went back to the kitchen, making sure everything was put away right before he headed to his bedroom. His head was spinning with all of the things he had to figure out over the next few days.

But for now, he was tired, and it seemed like they were safe, so he decided to worry about it in the morning.

****

“Come on, Billy!” Max whined as he folded up the want ads and shoved them into his back pocket. “I don’t want to stay in the house all day! And I can’t just wander around town. It’ll look weird.”

“Max, I will get you registered for school as soon as I can,” he promised. “But if I don’t get a job, we’re screwed. We only have enough money saved up for a few months, and that’s if we don’t have to run again. Once I find something, I will take care of the rest.”

He opened the front door and walked out to his car. Max trailed after him, still protesting. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone, okay?” he reminded her.

But instead of responding to him, she stopped, waved across the street, and hollered, “Hi, Robin!”

Billy groaned inwardly and turned to see the girl waving back and walking over to join them. He wasn’t going to show his hand and give Max a dirty look right in front of Robin. There was no reason to hurt her feelings unnecessarily, after all, unless it was what he had to do to keep her away. But he really believed that she’d give up eventually if he wasn’t very receptive to her offers of help.

“Hi, Max, Billy,” she greeted them. “Getting ready to go to school?” she asked Max.

“Billy has to register me, but he needs to find a job first, so I’m stuck at home today,” Max explained, grinning at Billy as his eyes slid sideways to glare at her.

“Oh, I see. Um, what kind of job are you looking for, Billy, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He smiled tightly. “Something to do with cars,” he gave in and answered, putting his hand on the hood of his Camaro and patting it. “I did all the work on this one myself, so I’m pretty good at it. If not, though, anything will do, honestly. I just need to get some money coming in.”

He frowned slightly as he finished. He hadn’t meant to tell her so much, but trying to be cryptic and polite at the same time was clearly messing with his head. His gaze flicked to Max, who was staring at him triumphantly, and he rolled his eyes at her.

“There’s a garage in town called Joe’s,” Robin told him. “On Main Street, where you were yesterday. He’s the only mechanic in Hawkins, and he always needs help. Tell him that I gave you the tip, and that he can call me for a reference.”

Billy nodded slowly. “Thanks.”

“And,” Robin continued, “I know everyone at the school. I had to do all my paperwork for early graduation. Max and I could take a taxi over there and get her registered. I really wouldn’t mind.”

Billy swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Um… I don’t know. That’s a lot to ask. Uh…”

“Please, Billy? Please?” Max begged. “I’ll be safer at school anyway, right? With lots of people?”

Billy’s eye twitched. Max was dangerously close to revealing too much information. Luckily, he didn’t think Robin had noticed anything off about the comment, because she just laughed. “Safer, Max? What do you think is going to happen if you spend one day home alone?” she teased.

Max shrugged. “You never know.”

Robin looked at Billy again. “It’s up to you.”

He was torn. Max was right. She’d be safer at school, where someone was keeping track of her. But accepting Robin’s help meant inviting her in more. Yet it kept occurring to him that having someone else who could take care of Max in case he got held up at a job or something bad happened to him was the responsible thing to do. And he couldn’t deny that Robin was the perfect candidate. She lived right across the street and worked from home, so she’d always be around.

“All right,” he decided. “But let me drop you off, at least. I can take a little time, especially with your lead.”

“Okay. Just let me grab my purse.”

As she walked back to her house for a second, Billy turned to his stepsister. “You’re toeing the line, Max,” he warned her.

“Relax,” she scoffed. “You need help and she wants to give it. Besides, she’s our neighbor. She’s going to notice what we do, so she may as well be in on some of it.”

Billy had to bite back his reply as Robin skipped back across the street to rejoin them. Max opened the passenger door of the Camaro and pushed the seat forward so she could get into the back, then showed Robin how to put it in place again so she could sit down.

“Your car is very nice,” Robin complimented Billy.

“Thanks,” he replied, trying to keep his answers brief for the sake of his own sanity.

When he didn’t offer any other information, Robin started to talk to Max, only stopping to give Billy a few directions. She asked her what subjects she liked in school and what extracurricular activities she might want to do. They were still chatting when Billy roared into the parking lot of the school and stopped in front of the entrance.

Robin got out and held the door for Max. “If you turn right out of the lot, make another right when you come to the first intersection and you’ll be back at Main.”

He nodded. “Thanks again for doing this. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” She put her arm around Max and they turned to walk inside. “Let’s get you taken care of, all right?”

Billy watched them for just a second, then peeled off to head to town. Maybe he’d feel better once a few of these bigger things were done.

****

Robin walked into the main office and waved at the woman sitting behind the desk. “Hi, Stephanie! I have a new student for you. This is my neighbor, Max Mayfield.”

“Hey,” Max said, leaning against the counter.

“Well, let’s get you all set, Max. There’s just a few forms to fill out. How old are you, sweetie?”

“Thirteen,” Max answered.

Robin let the two talk, her mind wandering to Billy while Max answered Stephanie’s questions. She felt like she was breaking through his surly exterior, and she hoped that was a good sign.

It was only when Max tugged on her sleeve that she came out of her own thoughts. “Hey. Stop fantasizing about my brother and help me. She says you can fill out the rest so I can get to class.”

Robin flushed and Stephanie giggled as Max took off. “Have a good day!” Robin called after her, then turned back to the counter and glanced at Stephanie. “Um, sorry about that,” she muttered self-consciously.

“Well, is she right?” Stephanie teased. “Is he hot?”

Robin laughed. “He is. And he knows it,” she confessed.

“Oh, those ones are always trouble. Put his name right here.”

She tapped the line and Robin wrote it down, then started to fill in the other spots Max had left blank. Thankfully, it was all stuff she knew.

She hesitated when she got to emergency contact. Technically, it was supposed to be someone besides the legal guardian, who they always got in touch with first. But she knew Billy and Max didn’t have anyone else. After a moment, she made an impulsive decision and wrote her name and information down. Billy could change it later if he wanted to, but for now, she was the only other person they knew, and she lived right across the street. It made sense.

“Thanks, Stephanie.”

“No problem, sweetie. You need a cab?”

Robin nodded. “Please.”

She waited in the office, chatting with Stephanie until her ride arrived. As she headed back home, she hoped she hadn’t started some gossip by admitting that she thought Billy was attractive. She didn’t want him to think she was that kind of person.

She was surprised to see him in the driveway of his house when her cab pulled up. She paid and got out, walking over to him. “Hey. How’d it go?” she wondered.

He smiled. It was a small smile, but it was still a smile. “Really well. I’m actually going back in this afternoon to fill out paperwork and get started. Thank you again. As soon as he heard your name, he gave me the job.”

“Good. I’m sure you’ll be great at it.”

“How’d it go with Max?”

“Good. She’s already in class. I, uh, listed myself as the emergency contact. It’s supposed to be someone other than the guardian. Feel free to change it if you like, but I figured you didn’t know anyone else yet.”

“Oh. Um… you didn’t have to do that,” Billy murmured, looking down at his boots, avoiding meeting her eyes.

“It’s no trouble, really. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen, anyway? That she needs to come home because she’s sick, maybe?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

It was clear that he thought otherwise. Robin couldn’t help wondering why, but she didn’t say anything. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair so you can get ready. Have a good day, all right?”

“Sure. You too.”

She could feel his eyes on her as she walked across the street. She forced herself not to look back. She didn’t want to seem desperate, even though every conversation they had just made her more curious. He was definitely hiding something. She really couldn’t figure out what it was just yet. But she knew because she was too.

Quite suddenly, though, she was determined to find out his secrets. So she went to get her own work done for the day, making sure to bake an extra chicken pot pie to bring over to them later.

****

Billy shouldn’t have been surprised when she knocked on his door that night. This time, she was holding a pie, along with the picnic basket again.

Resisting briefly crossed his mind, but he’d been working all day, he was hungry, and he still hadn’t been able to go to the grocery store. Not to mention that he couldn’t cook to save his life. It’d be TV dinners and anything that could be pre-packaged soon once he got his shit together.

“Come on in,” he laughed, stepping aside to let her through the door.

She headed to the kitchen and got everything ready as Billy called Max in. The girl gave him a knowing look as Robin cut big slices of chicken pot pie and dished them out. Max retreated to her room again while Billy and Robin sat at the table.

“God, this is good,” Billy groaned, not bothering to hide how much he was enjoying the meal.

Honestly, he didn’t know if he would have even made it through these first couple days without her help. Not in such a good mood, anyway. He glanced up just as she smiled at his compliment and he stopped chewing for a moment to stare at her.

Had she been that pretty yesterday? Maybe he just hadn’t noticed it as much because he’d been trying to keep his distance. But today he was acutely aware of her flushed cheeks and full lips, and of how beautiful her hazel eyes were. There were tiny flecks of green and gold in them, if he looked closely enough.

It was easy to see why people trusted her as a homemaker type, even though she was so young. She looked wholesome. She was plain and simple, but in a trustworthy way. She had clear skin that wasn’t covered up by any of the heavy make-up a lot of women favored nowadays. Her chin-length light brown hair wasn’t teased or coated in a lot of product like his was. She just had the aura of the type of woman you wanted to come home to at the end of a long day.

And that was very dangerous for him to be noticing.

“Billy? Are you okay?”

Her voice brought him back to reality. It was sort of crushing for him, really, but it was necessary.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Sorry. Just zoned out, I guess. Long first day. Good. But long.”

She nodded slightly. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew that she’d realized he was staring at her. Hopefully she wouldn’t think much of it if he didn’t follow it up with any of his usual flirting.

“So, are you just doing, um, regular mechanic stuff?” she asked.

He chuckled. “You know nothing about cars, do you?”

“Not at all,” she confirmed. “I don’t drive. Plus my dad always has the car for work, so I’d have to get used to not having one even if I could.”

He nodded. “Yeah, just regular mechanic stuff. Fixing whatever comes in, basically. Joe did say, though, that if I could get my GED, I might be able to do more of the business side of things, and I think it’d be good to learn.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew they were a mistake. She was going to offer to help him again. He bit the inside of his cheek as he silently chastised himself, but it was too late to take it back.

“You didn’t graduate high school?” she wondered.

He shook his head. “Dropped out to take care of Max. I can’t work a full-time job and go to school all day.”

“Of course not,” she agreed. “That’s way too much.” She picked at her food for a moment before adding, “If you decide to go for it, I can help you study. I basically did two years of high school in one, so.”

“I’ll let you know if I need the help. If I even decide to do it. Might not have the time right away.”

It wasn’t really important that he do it right now. If he could push her off a bit, maybe she wouldn’t be interested anymore by the time he finally made the choice.

“Sure. The offer stands whenever you’re ready.” She paused and studied him for a moment, then ventured, “Would you be interested in a little extra work? Just a few hours a week, probably? I have a trade in mind.”

Billy swallowed and looked at her curiously. He was interested to know what she was about to suggest. On the other hand, it was probably something that would push them closer together, and he was trying to avoid that.

“What’d you have in mind?” he found himself asking.

Clearly the practical side of his brain and the lonely side were not communicating very well.

“Well, I always have people who ask for deliveries of my food. Of course, I can’t do it without a car, and I can’t spend all my time in a taxi making deliveries since I have to cook everything. And I figured you probably aren’t going to have a lot of time to cook.”

Billy snorted. “Or the ability,” he admitted.

She giggled. “Or that. Anyway, if you’d be willing to make some deliveries for me, I thought that I could feed you both in return. Three meals a day, including packed lunches for you and Max, dessert, and snacks.”

Billy blinked. “That’s incredibly generous,” he observed. “Are a few deliveries really worth all of that?”

She nodded. “I ran the numbers earlier today.”

“I see,” he replied.

Now he was conflicted again. Not having to worry about meals would be a huge relief to him, but he felt like he was getting the way better end of the deal. Was it really the money, or was she just saying that to get closer to him? Because that was still a problem to think about. It would always be in the back of his mind as long as she was even a tangential part of his life.

“We wouldn’t have to eat together every day, if you didn’t want to,” she added hurriedly. “You could just take everything home.”

That did make it a bit more appealing, though he couldn’t exactly say that to her without hurting her feelings. Again, even though he shouldn’t have cared since hurting her would probably push her further away, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“It’s hard to say no to that,” he confessed.

“So you’re not going to?” she wondered brightly. “Because I could hire someone, but I really wanted to help you out, plus that way I can experiment on you when I want to try new recipes.”

He smiled, tapping his fork against his plate as he thought. Even if he took making things easier for himself and protecting Robin out of the equation, it was a decision that still made sense. His top priority had to be taking care of Max, and the food Robin would make for them was definitely better for her than anything he’d buy.

Dimly, he wondered if he was just using Max as an excuse, but whether he was or not, his decision was made. “I’m not going to,” he announced. “It’s a fair trade.”

Robin beamed at him and his stomach tightened. But it was nerves. Just nerves. He was worried about Neil finding them. Finding her. Hurting her to get to him. That was all. He wasn’t good enough for her. And he wasn’t interested anyway. It was just his instinct to go after every girl he saw, like Max said. It was going to take more than a few days to shake.

“Thank you, Billy. Really. And look, we can always do a trial period. If it doesn’t work out, we can make other arrangements. No hard feelings.”

“Sure. I know it’s not your food that isn’t going to work out, though.” He had emptied his plate already. “It was great, just like last night.”

“I’m glad. You both at least deserve some good food after what you’ve been through. I’ll leave the leftovers again. I’m baking muffins tonight for a PTA meeting tomorrow. I’ll make extra and bring them over later so you have breakfast. I’ll get your lunches ready too.”

“I’d say you don’t have to, but we ate cookies for breakfast today, so it’s probably a good idea,” he relented.

She laughed, standing up to take care of their plates. Billy followed her. “Let me do the dishes, at least,” he offered. “I’ll have them ready when you come back. I promise I’m going to get some of our own soon. I need to find time to go to the store.”

“I go regularly to stock up, you know. We could go together. Or you could give me your list and some money and I can grab whatever you need.”

Billy shook his head slightly to himself. He kept opening doors he meant to keep shut. But he was already doing some things for her. One more could hardly hurt.

“I’ll remember that. Thank you.”

She left shortly after. He lingered in the doorway and watched her cross the street. Yesterday, he’d been watching for Neil, and he still was. But he couldn’t deny that he was also making sure she got home all right.

Max joined him, arching her eyebrows when he turned to look at her. “You’re doing a great job keeping her away,” she observed.

Billy rolled his eyes. “Look. I can’t do everything on my own, and what she’s asking for in return is fair. We can’t not interact with anybody at all. We just can’t let them get close. As long as they don’t look important to us, it’s fine.”

“Sure. She’s not important to you. Uh-huh.”

“She’s not, Max,” Billy replied firmly. “Did you take care of your dinner dishes?”

“Yeah.”

“Then get your homework done.”

“All right.”

She retreated to her room and Billy shut the front door. He could handle this. He could accept Robin’s help and not let it go further than that.

He had to. For her sake.

****

Robin worked for the rest of the night. She dropped off a huge basket of assorted muffins and two packed lunches to Billy and Max, then went to bed early. The next morning, she was right back at it. It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that she took a break, and that was only because Mrs. Huxton knocked on her door and asked if she could walk the dog for her since she was expecting someone to fix her cable.

It was a nice day, so Robin was glad to get outside for a bit. She really didn’t do it enough. She decided to take Ginger, the Huxtons’ golden retriever, to the park.

She was walking near the basketball courts when she spotted Billy with several other boys. She recognized Steve Harrington and a few others from the high school. They’d probably taken one of their cars in as Billy was getting off work and asked him to play.

He must have made the decision to play shirtless, though. Wearing the tiniest shorts known to man.

She stopped in her tracks as he ran and jumped with the ball, throwing it under his leg to make a basket. His golden skin glistened with sweat, and she swore she could see every single one of his muscles flexing at the same time.

She hadn’t even realized she was just standing there watching until Ginger nudged her and barked softly. Robin jumped, startled, and blushed, even though no one had noticed her impromptu spying. “Sorry, girl,” she murmured, petting Ginger. “Let’s go.”

Later that night, she went across the street to drop off lunches again, her cheeks burning in advance. The sight of Billy in the park was etched into her mind, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. When Max answered the door, Robin was almost relieved, though she couldn’t deny being a little disappointed too.

“Are you okay?” Max asked, raising one very red eyebrow at her.

“Of course,” Robin replied a little too quickly.

“Did you want to talk to Billy?” Max grinned at her and Robin flushed deeper, glad that it was dark outside. “He’s in the shower, but he should be out soon.”

Robin shook her head. “No, no, that’s all right. I just wanted to drop off your lunches for tomorrow before it was too late.”

“Thanks,” Max said, taking the bags from her. “I liked the meatloaf sandwich. It was really good.”

Robin smiled. “Meatloaf is one of my best recipes,” she admitted. “I should be able to make them at least once a week.”

“Cool. Billy really liked it too,” she added. “He told me.”

Robin forced her expression to remain the same. “I’m glad,” she murmured. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I have things in the oven I need to check on.”

Max nodded. “Okay. Thanks again.”

Robin nodded back and headed home. She really did have stuff in the oven, so at least that hadn’t been a lie. But really, she’d been nervous to see Billy when she couldn’t stop thinking about him basically naked.

As much as she tried to banish it from her mind, it was still there when she went to bed. So, finally, she decided to give in.

She bit her lip and slid her hand under the covers and between her legs, closing her eyes and picturing Billy reclining over her naked, his skin slick with sweat. She imagined tracing the hard lines of his muscles with her fingers, then running them through his hair while he kissed her.

It didn’t take long before she was burying her face in her pillow to muffle the noise as she reached her climax. She didn’t allow herself to indulge in these types of fantasies often. It usually just reminded her of how lonely she was.

But with Billy, she felt like something might really be possible. Even though he wasn’t opening up quite yet, she thought that he would eventually.

She curled up around her pillow. She was slightly relaxed, but still largely unsatisfied.

She hoped that would change soon.


	4. What's Love Got to Do With It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Halloween, and Robin finally makes a confession that is met with an unexpected answer.

Several weeks passed. Suddenly it was the end of October. Robin had baskets of homemade treats ready for the kids who would inevitably be dropping by soon.

As she finished cleaning up the kitchen, she glanced out the window and across the street. The house there was dark. Billy wasn’t home from work yet.

Despite Robin’s best efforts, Billy had kept her at arm’s length so far. He made her deliveries and accepted her food. If he was going to be at work, she’d stay and eat with Max, but if he was home, she was always forced to retreat back to her house and eat alone.

But, after enough time of careful observation, she’d come to realize that his indifference was carefully crafted. A few times, she’d managed to catch him staring at her when he didn’t think she was looking.

She wasn’t an expert by any means. The longing looks she’d experienced were all in novels. But she would have called what was on his face longing. There were also small smiles when she said something funny or blushed.

He wouldn’t say anything else about his life. It made her even more certain that he was hiding something. She didn’t think it was anything bad. Well, not something that meant he was bad, anyway. But whatever it was, he was worried about it.

She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard anyone approach until the doorbell rang. She went to answer it, fully expecting to see some early trick-or-treaters, so she was surprised when she opened it and Billy was standing there.

He was still in his mechanic’s jumpsuit from work, though he had it shrugged off his shoulders and tied around his waist to expose his white tank top. He seemed immune to the cold. She smiled warmly at him. “Hi, Billy. How are you tonight? Any plans for Halloween?”

“Me? No.” He ran a hand through his hair, clearly distracted, and held out a note in the other. “I think Max went to some sort of party. Do you happen to know where any big ones are happening tonight? I don’t mind if she’s out trick-or-treating with friends, but...”

Robin unfolded the note and read it, then laughed lightly. “Come on in,” she offered.

He sighed in frustration. “I just told you that I have to go get Max,” he protested, his voice tight.

“No, you don’t, Billy. She’s not at a party. She’s with The Party. She wrote it lowercase, but the article is important,” she explained, shaking her head slightly as she remembered when Dustin Henderson had explained it to her.

“The Party?” Billy frowned. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a group of kids at her school. They play Dungeons & Dragons together, so they call themselves The Party. Because you play in a party of people, you know?”

Suddenly, Billy burst out laughing. “You might as well be speaking a foreign language,” he admitted.

“Tell me about it. Come in,” she insisted, finally reaching out and grabbing his hand. “I know who you can call to check on her. Then you can help me hand out treats to the kids so you don’t go crazy waiting for her. After we get some dinner in you, of course.”

He resisted as she tugged on his hand. “No, I should get out of your hair. I, um, have to…”

“Billy.” Her voice was soft and even, but firm. “It’s a holiday. Kids are going to be ringing your bell all night if you go home and turn on your lights. I am all ready over here and could use the help. Just join me, okay?”

He still hesitated briefly, but then he nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Robin.”

He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, his eyes widening as he saw all the treats she’d laid out. “Wow,” he said. “You go all out, huh?”

“Of course. I love the holidays. So much great food,” she pointed out. “Every kid in Hawkins visits me on Halloween. That’s the other reason you should stay. I guarantee Max and The Party will be by eventually.”

“Yeah, I see that. I’d be by if I still trick-or-treated.” He followed her into the kitchen and sat, then asked, “So, uh, these kids. Are they, you know, good?”

Robin giggled. “Yes. They are sweet, adorable nerds. I mean, they might blow up a soda bottle in your backyard doing a science experiment while you bake cookies for them, but it’s all safe and in good fun.”

“Watched them a few times, huh?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I have. Usually only when all of their parents are going to be out. They’re getting old enough to watch themselves, but everyone’s a bit on edge after last year.”

“What happened last year?” Billy wondered.

“Have you heard of Hawkins Lab?” Robin asked.

“I think I’ve heard a few people mention it at work, yeah.”

She took the lid off of the pot on the stove and started to make him a bowl of chili. After she’d set it in front of him, she cut two pieces of cornbread and buttered them for him. He smirked at her. “You know I can get my own food, right?”

She blushed and shrugged. “I know, but you worked all day, and you take care of Max all by yourself. You deserve to be waited on every once in a while.”

“You work all day too,” he murmured.

But he was smiling, so she knew he didn’t really mind. She sat down across from him and started to explain. “Until last year, Hawkins Lab was just a standard government lab near town. Last year, though, they put a man named Dr. Martin Brenner in charge. He was experimenting on animals and people.”

Billy frowned. “That sounds messed up.”

“It was. One of the animals escaped and killed a local teenager, Barbara Holland. Will Byers ran from another and was missing for days. Brenner dumped a body in the quarry so everyone would think it was his because he was sure he was dead. There was a funeral and everything. But his mom, Joyce, wouldn’t give up, and eventually she found him with the help of a girl who’d been experimented on in the lab. Technically, her name is Jane, but everyone calls her Eleven, El for short, because that was the number Brenner gave her in the lab. The police chief, Jim Hopper, adopted her. She and Will are both in The Party, and the rest of the kids were involved because Will’s their best friend and they didn’t believe he was dead either. It’s been about a year since all of that happened. Less if you count all the crazy news coverage. The lab was shut down for a while, but now it’s under new management. I think that makes everyone nervous too.”

“I’ll bet,” Billy muttered, finishing a piece of cornbread. “So one of these kids probably knows where she is?”

“Well, their parents. I’d call Karen Wheeler. Her son Mike is in The Party, and her basement is the usual place where they hang out. Her number’s by the phone.”

“Thanks.”

Billy got up and headed over to the phone, dialing the number. Robin stood, gathering some of her Halloween treats together for when he was finished with his call. A few minutes later, he hung up and came back over to her.

“She’s with them,” he announced. “Mrs. Wheeler said they were planning on coming over here first to make sure you didn’t run out of stuff.”

Robin laughed. “I never run out of stuff.” She winked at him and gestured to the things she’d laid out on the counter. “Just because you don’t trick-or-treat doesn’t mean you can’t get some, by the way.”

He laughed with her as he sat back down. “Thank you. I’m, uh, sorry that I kind of snapped out there earlier. I just… I’m responsible for her, you know?”

“I know, Billy. It’s okay. And you barely snapped, by the way.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know how people do it. She drives me nuts most of the time.”

Robin giggled. “I think it’s supposed to be easier if you start from scratch with your own,” she observed. “That way you’ve established dominance by the time they’re old enough to resist.”

Before Billy could answer, the doorbell rang and Robin clapped her hands. “All right! Let’s feed a few that belong to other people a bunch of sugar!” she said excitedly, hopping up and going to the door.

For the next few hours, they answered the door and handed out treats. When they were done, Robin packed Billy’s extras into a basket while he helped her clean up.

Robin smiled at him. He’d been amazing the whole time they’d handed things out. He’d complimented all of the costumes, and even given Max a hug when she’d stopped by. It was the best night she’d spent with him since he’d arrived, and it was making her a little bold.

As she walked him to the door with everything she was sending him home with, she impulsively asked, “Billy? Is something happening between us? I know that it’s been a strange few weeks, but I just feel like there’s more here than either of us has admitted so far.”

She was staring at his back. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as she saw his shoulders tense at the question. After a moment, he sighed and turned around. He had the basket in one hand, and his other fist was clenched at his side.

His voice was low when he spoke. “Robin, I’m only going to say this once, and then I expect you to drop it, all right?”

Her eyes widened. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew what he was about to say. “Don’t,” she begged suddenly, her face crumpling as she realized how hurt she was.

He shook his head. “I have to, if you’re not going to let it go. I may have given you the wrong impression about me. The way I’ve been since you met me? That’s all just what I have to be right now. It’s not who I am.”

She shook her head back. “No, Billy, that’s…”

“I spit girls up and I chew them out, Robin,” he interrupted her, his voice louder now. “I’m an asshole. I am not a good person, and I’m certainly not a person you should be with. I am in no way worthy of you. End of story. No more discussion.”

“Billy, that doesn’t make any sense,” she protested. “You’re…”

He held up his hand and set the basket down on her porch. “You should keep this. I have to go.”

“Please take it,” she insisted, reaching out to grab his arm. “It’s for you and Max. Please. I…” She swallowed, her throat thick, her eyes filling with tears. “I won’t bring it up again. I’m… sorry.”

She let go of him and stepped back inside the house, shutting and locking the door and turning off the light before he could say anything else.

She stood with her back against the door, trying to catch her breath as she started to cry. She couldn’t believe that a simple question had gone so wrong. She’d never expected him to just reject her outright like that.

She didn’t understand his assessment of himself at all. People couldn’t fake being something completely opposite of what they really were, could they?

The Billy she knew was sweet. He struggled, but he tried hard to do his best for his family. He worked hard and didn’t get into trouble. He couldn’t possibly be the asshole he claimed to be, or she would know by now. If he was really so terrible to women, there would be rumors around town, something to corroborate what he’d said.

And she knew that he felt something for her. He had to. The way he treated her meant something. And even as he’d been telling her no, it was by saying he didn’t deserve to be with her. Not that he didn’t want her.

The whole night, she’d been thinking that this was it. That she was in love with him, despite the short amount of time they’d known each other. She’d thought that love could conquer anything. That if she’d just admitted her feelings, everything would go her way.

She shouldn’t have been so stupid. She knew better than most people that life wasn’t magical. Things didn’t always turn out the way you wanted them to.

She wanted to open the door again and see if he was still there. If he had taken the basket. But she was too scared to. She was too scared to confirm that it really was over, and that he might never talk to her or accept her help again.

So instead, she covered her mouth and headed to her room, glad that she’d already finished cleaning everything up. She just wanted to go to bed, cry herself to sleep, and hope that everything might somehow seem better tomorrow.


	5. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy changes his mind.

Billy stood outside her door for a moment. He bit his lip as he heard her start to cry. He almost knocked to get her to open it again, but he forced himself to grab the basket and go home instead.

He set the basket on the kitchen table, then stood with his fists balled up against it. He hated himself, and it wasn’t fair at all.

Life had a shitty sense of humor. Back home, in California, he’d been an absolute horndog. All he’d cared about was getting his dick wet and not having to deal with any emotions afterwards.

Here, he had an entirely different reputation, and it had finally made him realize how lonely he was. It wouldn’t have been a problem if the perfect girl wasn’t living right across the street. It might not have even been a problem if she hadn’t been so present.

But she was there all the time. She was thoughtful and sweet and kind. She saw him in a way no one else ever had, and it had drawn her to him like she was the moth and he was the flame. And how could he blame her? To her, he was a selfless boy who had given up everything for his stepsister and was working his hardest to take care of her.

He was seconds away from going back across the street to make sure she was okay when he heard the front door open. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down as Max came into the kitchen.

“Hey, Billy! Dude, you gotta see all this candy I got. This place is insane.” She set her bag down on the table in front of him, then frowned. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. “Uh, did you have a good time?”

“Yeah, it was great.” She paused, then carefully added, “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Just a long day at work, is all.” He smiled tightly. “Do you need dinner?”

“No, Mrs. Wheeler made sure we ate some real food before we went trick-or-treating so we wouldn’t just eat candy. I was going to sort through my stuff and then go to bed.”

“Sounds good,” he agreed. “I’m going to take a shower and then head to bed myself.”

“Okay.”

She paused, eyeing him carefully. He tried to smile, but he was afraid it was more of a grimace. Finally, she took a full-sized Nestle Crunch bar out of her bag and laid it on the table.

“For you,” she told him. “Night, Billy.”

He really did smile then. Nestle Crunch was his favorite. “Thanks, Max,” he whispered.

He knew she heard him, even though she didn’t say anything. He glanced around the kitchen, glad that it was already clean, and then headed to the bathroom.

He made the water as hot as he could stand it, then stood under it, his hands braced against the wall so he could lean over and let it hit his back. The thoughts that Max had interrupted came flooding back, though, as much as he didn’t want them to.

It was hard to admit his own feelings, even to himself. Hell, he didn’t even really know what they were. He thought that maybe he was confused because she was helping so much. He was floundering with her help; he couldn’t imagine where he’d be without it.

But that didn’t explain why his heart skipped a beat whenever she smiled. It didn’t explain why he wanted to stop her every time she had to leave just so he could stare at her face for a few more minutes. It didn’t explain why he fantasized about living with her, about coming home from work to find her in the kitchen, then wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her cheek. It didn’t explain why he hugged his pillow at night and wished he was wrapped up in her embrace instead.

He’d never had those thoughts about a girl before. Even all the ones he’d taken to bed just blurred together into a streak of meaningless color across his memory. But Robin was there in perfect clarity. And yes, he could argue with himself and say that it was just because she was in his life right now, but he knew that was a lie.

He wanted her. It was as simple as that. He wanted her light and her warmth, her devotion and her care. He wanted her to take him in her arms and comfort him by telling him everything was going to be all right.

But, at the same time, he was scared that that was the root of his feelings. Not real emotion, but just the desire for someone to be responsible for him for a moment, to take the weight of everything off of his shoulders for a little while. It had been so long since he’d experienced any real emotion besides rage, though, that he wasn’t even sure what happiness or love would feel like.

“Fuck,” Billy hissed, slamming his fist against the tile of the shower.

All he could picture was her face right before she’d shut the door. He couldn’t stand the idea of her over there crying because of what he’d said.

Especially because it wasn’t true. Not anymore. He’d been describing who he used to be, not who he was now. As much as he’d insisted to Max, he didn’t feel like that angry, flippant boy he’d been before. He’d only been an adult for a month, basically, but it had been enough. Having to raise Max had given him a house, a job, and even a few potential friends.

And it had dawned on him, in his more lucid moments, that he hadn’t even bothered noticing other women since he’d been here. Except for Robin. He noticed her more and more. He felt comfortable around her. Maybe not comfortable enough to tell her the whole truth yet, but enough to believe that maybe he could at some point.

Yet here he was, hiding in his shower and trying to pretend that he didn’t care. That he didn’t need anybody. That he didn’t want anybody. That he was okay, when he was honestly anything but.

“Fuck it,” he muttered under his breath.

He switched off the shower and stepped out onto the cold floor, grabbing a pair of his discarded jeans and slipping them on over his wet skin. He threw on one of his short-sleeved button-downs too, but he didn’t bother to button it.

As he raked his wet hair back from his forehead, he called out, “Max, I’m going across the street if you need me!”

“Okay!” she yelled back.

A moment later, he was out the front door. It was close to freezing, but he ignored the way his skin prickled and his hair stiffened, and the way the pavement scraped against his bare feet.

He hopped up Robin’s steps and knocked on her door, his breath escaping in cloudy puffs as he waited for her to answer. “Robin?” he called. “It’s me, Billy. Please open the door. I’m sorry. Please.”

He knocked louder and repeated himself, then did it again. Her light finally switched on and she cracked the door, stopping him mid-knock. Her eyes were red and swollen, and there were tear tracks running down her cheeks.

Before she could say anything or shut the door in his face, he stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands, bending down several inches to kiss her.

She took a deep, gasping breath as their lips met, and for a moment he was afraid that he’d ruined everything and it was too late. But he didn’t pull back, hoping against hope that she could forgive him.

Then her knees buckled. He quickly moved his arm and clasped it around her waist to keep her upright, his heart beating faster as her arms twined around his neck and she melted against him. All she was wearing was a tunic-length long-sleeved shirt, and it rode up as he grabbed her. He shivered as he touched her bare skin, deepening the kiss.

She was being receptive, even though she was barely kissing him back. Instead, she was letting herself be kissed. Billy had never been with a girl like that. He’d been with girls who had chased him, girls who had been rough, girls who had given just as much as he took. But this was soft and sweet and reverent, and he definitely couldn’t get enough.

He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer, shivering again as her fingers moved through his hair. The cold air was still streaming in through the open door, but all there was between them was warmth.

Finally, he reluctantly pulled away. But only far enough to look into her eyes and rub his nose gently over hers.

“I’m so sorry, Robin,” he murmured.

She shook her head. “Shut the door before we freeze to death, Billy,” she giggled, beaming at him.

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed.

He turned and shut the door without letting go of her. Then she smiled and leaned in until their lips were almost touching.

“Now kiss me again, Billy,” she begged.


	6. Should I Stay or Should I Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin decide what to do next.

Robin made a happy sound as Billy leaned in and kissed her again. He was a wonderful kisser. Not that she had anything to compare it to, but that was what she thought. She kept her own response tentative, nervous that she was going to screw it up if she tried too hard since she’d never done it before.

It was so cold, but he was so warm. It felt like her skin was burning wherever it was touching his. And she wanted to burn. She wanted to burn forever.

He carried her into the kitchen, flipping on the light and then lifting her up to set her on the counter, only breaking the kiss once she was firmly seated. She blushed as she gazed up at him.

“How can you lift me?” she asked shyly.

He chuckled. “How? I lift weights that are heavier than you when I work out.”

Her blush deepened and she tugged him closer by grabbing his shirt. “You’re wet and cold,” she observed worriedly.

“I was warm when we were kissing,” he reminded her, leaning forward again and cutting off any reply she might have had with his lips.

She made the same happy noise once more as she kissed him back. When they parted again, she murmured, “Let’s warm you up. I can make coffee or tea or hot chocolate.”

“Done kissing me so soon?” he teased.

She shook her head. “No,” she assured him. “But I want to take care of you.”

He sighed softly and cupped her face in his hands again, kissing her forehead. “I like that,” he admitted. “How about coffee, if you have decaf? I can’t stay up all night. I have to work tomorrow.”

“Me too,” she agreed as he lifted her down from the counter. “Decaf it is.”

He lingered behind her while she started the coffee, one arm wrapped lightly around her waist, bending down to rest his chin on her shoulder. “Do you want cream or sugar?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.

He shook his head. “Black for me.”

He kissed her nose, then opened the cabinet in front of them, reaching up for two mugs. He set them down carefully, then hugged her more tightly as they waited.

She stayed quiet. She hadn’t really expected him to come back, though she had been hoping for it. And while the kissing was wonderful, she didn’t really know what was supposed to happen next. They were going to have to talk. But where did she start? She’d gone from thinking they were never going to speak again to suddenly being in his arms, and it had honestly messed with her head a little bit.

She got the coffee ready. “Why don’t we sit in the living room?” she suggested softly. “I have blankets in there.”

“Sure.”

He grabbed his mug, keeping one hand on the small of her back as they moved, turning the lights off in the kitchen and on in the living room. She set her mug down on the table next to the couch and he did the same, smiling as she wrapped a blanket around him. He sat down and held the blanket open for her to join him. She did, snuggling into his side and grabbing their mugs, taking a sip and biting her lip before she looked up at him.

“I don’t really know where to start,” she admitted.

“I kind of threw you for a loop, so that’s my fault,” he sighed. “I can’t apologize enough, Robin. I’ve just been dealing with so much, and it’s not a good excuse, but… I’ve had a lot of firsts lately, and you’re one of them.”

“What do you mean?” she wondered.

“I mean,” he started slowly, his mug in one hand, the other still around her, holding her against him, “that I’ve never considered having something serious with anyone before. Deciding that that’s how I feel about you and facing it is big for me.”

Robin shook her head. “I shouldn’t have sprung it on you, Billy. It just felt like we were having a moment, so I jumped the gun.” She swallowed nervously, then asked, “All of those things you said about yourself. Do you really believe them? Because that’s not who I see when I look at you at all.”

He grimaced. “It’s who I was until about a month ago when I suddenly realized I had to be responsible for Max,” he said slowly. “Our parents remarried a few years ago, so it’s not like I was never in charge of her before. I had to watch her and stuff. But now it’s different. Back then, I didn’t have to worry about where the money came from. When our parents were home or she was out by herself, I never had to worry about where she was. So I spent my time roaring around town in my Camaro. I had…” He hesitated, swallowing nervously. He couldn’t be honest about everything, so he felt he had to be honest about this, especially if he wanted things to work with Robin. “I had a different girl in my backseat basically every night,” he admitted. “I drank and I smoked and I partied. But I can’t do that here, because she depends on me. Honestly, having to grow up like this is probably one of the best things that could have happened to me.”

“How so?” Robin finally interrupted quietly.

She was a little afraid to stop him, like it might break some sort of spell and prevent him from continuing. But he kept going, his voice slow and measured, like he was piecing together his thoughts as he went.

“I was fucked up, Robin,” he admitted, setting his mug down and dragging his hand through his damp hair. “I still am. I think I was on the edge of basically being like that forever or deciding to change. I changed because I had to, but it had the effect I needed. It was just that, before, with only myself to look after, I didn’t care enough. I didn’t care enough about myself to stop. I convinced myself that all of it made me feel good. And maybe it did, in the moment. But after, not so much. All the hangovers and pregnancy scares…” He blew out a breath. “Eventually something would have happened that I wouldn’t have been able to bounce back from.”

She turned in his arms, wrapping her own around his neck after setting her mug down. “That’s very self-aware, Billy,” she murmured. “More self-aware than most people ever get, I think.”

He shrugged lightly. “Maybe.” He paused. “None of that drives you away?” he questioned, his blue eyes wide.

She thought he was probably more than a little scared to hear her answer, so she didn’t make him wait. “Why would it, Billy?” she asked sincerely.

He gazed down at her, smiling a little. He clearly liked what she’d said, though she couldn’t guess why, beyond the fact that he liked her. Then he shook his head and patiently explained, “Because you’re not a backseat kind of girl, Robin.”

“How do you know?” she retorted.

But the blush that spread across her cheeks at the idea definitely gave her away. Billy was right.

He laughed loudly at her, pulling her closer and giving her another quick kiss. “Robin, you are the kind of girl guys dream about taking home to their parents. Sweet, pretty, cooks amazing food. I bet you’ve always fantasized about a perfect life, haven’t you? Like the one you have here in this house. Meals around the table every night, white picket fence, some kind of dog, a few kids running around?”

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She was sitting in his lap and he was telling her that she was the perfect girl with the perfect life, and she really wasn’t. But she wanted to be. So she nodded, hoping her eyes wouldn’t betray the sadness she felt, the lies she was telling, and told him something that most certainly wasn’t a lie. “Of course I do, Billy.”

He nodded back. “I have no idea if I can give that to you. I’ve barely been getting by, and that’s with your help. I’m afraid of two things. One is that I’ll just get fed up with this kind of life and decide that I hate it. The other is that I’m mistaking enjoying you helping me for… something else. What if I’m wrong?”

“I’ve wondered about that myself,” she agreed. “Do I just like not being alone? Am I blinded by how beautiful you are?” She giggled as he blushed at that particular thought. “Honestly, Billy, I don’t know. I’ve only ever imagined love. I’ve never had it. My guess is as good as yours.”

“Well, at least we can worry about that together.” He kissed her temple and took a deep breath, smelling her hair. “I want to take it slow,” he told her. “I want to do this right. Would you, um, let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night?”

“I’d like that very much, Billy,” she assured him.

He watched as she reached between them and carefully buttoned his shirt, then winked at him. “Can’t have the neighbors seeing you leave all disheveled and shirtless,” she teased.

“Half-shirtless,” he pointed out defensively, smirking up at her.

“Still. I have a reputation,” she answered lightly, reaching up to smooth his hair into place as much as possible.

His smirk quickly vanished, and she leaned forward to kiss his cheek just as quickly. “No one here knows what you used to be like except for me, Billy,” she reminded him. “It’s all right. And I’m just kidding. I don’t care who sees you leaving my house. You just said you wanted to take it slow, and rumors might complicate that.”

He nodded. “Yeah, they could. But how about this? Let’s just worry about ourselves. Not anybody else. No matter what they say, we know what’s happening, right?

“Right,” she agreed. “I like that idea.”

“Okay.”

He kissed her, lingering for a moment, his hand on her cheek. She was so tempted to ask him to stay, but as he pulled away, she bit her tongue. He didn’t want to rush into anything, and she had to respect that. She’d gotten lucky after pushing him too far too fast earlier, and she didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

He stood, setting her on the ground, then grabbing their empty mugs to bring back to the kitchen. They both washed them quickly and set them out to dry, then she slowly walked him back to the door.

Before she could open it, he pulled her close and kissed her one more time. As they parted, he took a deep breath, stroking his thumb over her cheekbone.

“I’m right across the street if you need me, Robin. All right?”

“I know, Billy.” She paused, wondering if saying this was a good idea. But after what he’d told her, she thought maybe it was important for him to know. “I think I’ll always need you after tonight, Billy.”

He smiled at her. “I’m okay with that,” he confessed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, all right? We’ll go out around six?”

“I’ll be ready. Have a good night, Billy.”

“You too, Robin.”

He opened the door and walked across the street. She watched him until he was inside, smiling when he glanced back at her one more time before closing the door.


	7. Never Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy takes Robin out for their first date.

Billy stood in front of the bathroom mirror and frowned at his reflection. He’d chosen his best jeans and his red button-down shirt to wear for his date with Robin, but suddenly, he wasn’t sure about it. Could you have that many buttons unbuttoned when you went to a fancy restaurant?

He pulled one curl down over his forehead and hit it with his hairspray again, fluffing the rest of his hair out so the gold hoop he’d slipped into his ear was visible. Next he grabbed his cologne. He dabbed some on his neck, then stopped short.

Usually he’d pour it over his fingers and slip them down the front of his jeans, but that hardly seemed appropriate now.

So he didn’t, setting it aside. He checked out his ass in the mirror. It looked good, just like always, but the satisfaction he got from knowing that had certainly changed.

He buttoned one more button, still frowning, unable to decide what was too much. He stopped, though, as he heard the front door open, hurriedly trying to act like he hadn’t been in here for almost half an hour overthinking literally everything.

“Hey, Billy, it’s me!” Max called. “I have something for you.”

“Hey, Max,” he replied, stepping out into the hallway. “Something for me?”

She rounded the corner, grinning and holding something behind her back. “They’re for your date!” she said excitedly, pulling a bouquet of red flowers out and handing them to him.

Billy took them and smiled at her. “Thanks, Max. These are nice. Um, what are they?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Steve was going to give them to Nancy Wheeler because he wants them to get back together, but Dustin stopped him because she’s with Jonathan Byers now. I figured they shouldn’t go to waste.”

“Harrington?” Billy wondered.

He’d mentioned something about his girlfriend when they’d played basketball in the park the other day, but he hadn’t paid much attention. It wasn’t like he could have helped anyway.

Max shrugged. “He’ll be fine,” she answered, even though he hadn’t asked. “Dustin’s hanging out with him.”

That got Billy to snort. “He’s hanging out with a kid to lick his romantic wounds?”

“Dustin said he wanted help with something. Finding his lost pet or something like that. I guess Steve helped him with some other stuff last year when his friend Will went missing. Did you hear about that?”

“Yeah, Robin told me about it.” He paused. “She said those kids are okay. Are they?”

Max laughed. “Would I tell you if they weren’t and I wanted to hang out with them?” she challenged.

“Probably not. But I’m still asking.”

Max poked him in the arm with her fist as they walked to the kitchen. “That was good. Very parent-y.”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s good?”

“You’re just getting better at it, is all,” Max observed. “And yeah, I think they’re okay. They’re cool. They like video games and stuff, and most of them don’t mind that I do, even though I’m a girl.”

“Thought a girl already hung out with them? El?” Billy tried to remember. “Shouldn’t they be used to it?”

“Well, El’s kind of weird. She’s just learning what she likes because she was raised in that lab. She’s cool, though. Especially now that she has me.”

“Oh, yeah,” Billy teased her. “Because you are the definition of cool.”

“Cooler than you,” Max retorted, opening the fridge.

“There’s leftovers. I assume Robin isn’t making anything new tonight since we’re going out to dinner.”

“Cool.”

She grabbed a soda and sat down. Billy tapped his foot and glanced at his watch. “I should, uh, head over there,” he said. “You still planning on going to Lucas Sinclair’s after you eat?”

“Yup.”

“Call Mrs. Wheeler if anything happens, okay? She said she’s going to be home tonight. Robin and I should be back around ten at the latest.”

“I can take care of myself, Billy.”

“I know you can, Max. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m responsible for you, okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, okay. Have a good time on your date, all right? And don’t screw it up. Robin is really nice.”

“I know she is. I’ll do my best.”

He grabbed his brown leather jacket, slipping it on before he headed outside, turning the flowers nervously in his hand. He had no idea what he was doing. All of his previous dates had been geared towards going somewhere where no one would notice if he was with a girl in his backseat. He didn’t know how to do the whole sweet thing. And how was he supposed to make conversation when he had to be careful about what he said?

He was beginning to think this had been a bad idea.

But he was on her doorstep with flowers and a reservation to the nicest restaurant in town, so he might as well keep going now. There was no reason to disappoint her by not trying. If he disappointed her while he was trying, that was a different story.

He took a deep breath and knocked on her door. He couldn’t help smiling as she answered it almost right away. She was beaming, clearly excited.

She was also absolutely breathtaking in her dress. It was red with white polka dots, and even though it covered her all the way up to her neck, it was fitted so that it was provocative. The tight waist hugged her thick middle, the skirt flared over the curves of her hips, and the top was pulled so tight over her tits that he thought if she breathed too hard, it might pop open.

“Wow,” he found himself saying, wanting to mentally kick himself afterwards. Was that really the best he could do? “You look, um…” Shit. What was a nice way to tell a girl she looked so good he was getting hard in his jeans already? He had no idea, so instead he thrust the flowers at her and blurted out, “These are for you.”

Her eyes widened and she blushed, her skin pinking until it almost matched her dress. “Thank you, Billy. They’re beautiful. Would you like to come in for a minute while I put them in some water?”

“Sure.”

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as she went into the kitchen. He smiled to himself as he noticed that she didn’t have a vase. Instead, she pulled down a short glass jug and filled it with water, then carefully unwrapped the flowers from the paper they were in before arranging them in it. She centered the vase on the kitchen island and then looked up at him. She was smiling again, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

When she came back over to him, he was surprised when she leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You look nice too, Billy,” she murmured. “Very handsome.” She tugged on his red shirt briefly. “And we match.”

“We do, don’t we?” he murmured back.

He took a deep breath. He could smell his own hairspray and cologne, of course, but he could also smell her. He wasn’t sure what scent he was smelling, or where it was coming from. It might have been perfume, but it could have been shampoo too. All he knew was that he wanted to smell more of it. More of her.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering her his arm.

He knew he had to get them out of here before he was too tempted to throw his new rules to the wind and just ask to take her to bed right now. Not that that would have changed his desire to keep getting to know her. He didn’t think, anyway. But he wasn’t willing to risk it, and he wasn’t willing to rush her either.

She hadn’t said it outright, but he knew that she was… innocent, for lack of a better word. The way she’d reacted to his kiss had told him that. The guys he’d played basketball with had talked about her a bit, too, when they’d realized that he lived across the street from her. She’d never dated anyone in high school. One guy named Tommy said she’d had an unrequited thing for Harrington, but Billy got the feeling that every guy at the school thought every girl was into Harrington. The dude seemed nice enough, but after spending as much time as he had with Robin, he really doubted he’d been her secret crush. Not because they wouldn’t have been compatible or anything, but because he didn’t think she’d suddenly be into him if she was still holding a torch for Harrington. She was definitely the loyal type, and her affections wouldn’t shift that easily.

Regardless, he didn’t want to scare her by demanding too much too soon. Especially since he had no idea how to treat a woman like her in bed. Hell, he barely knew how to take her on a date. And he couldn’t think about the rest for now, or else he’d go crazy. It had to be one step at a time.

She took his arm and he led her out to his car, opening the door for her and helping her in. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he drove. She was being quiet, and he was a bit worried that he’d spooked her. He’d come down on her so harshly the previous night when she’d brought up her feelings, and he’d sensed the same reluctance in her when they’d talked after he’d blown up.

“You don’t have to be afraid to talk to me, Robin,” he assured her. “I know that I was rude yesterday, but I’m not going to bite anymore, all right?”

She finally turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were shining, and she nodded slightly at the admission. “Thank you, Billy.”

Of course, by then, they’d already arrived at the restaurant he’d chosen. Enzo’s, the nicest place in town, according to the guys he worked with, anyway. He opened her door for her again, helping her out, tugging nervously at his collar with his other hand.

Just before they reached the door, Robin stopped him. “Billy, are you okay?” she asked curiously.

He stopped walking, hesitating before he gave an answer. “Um, yeah?” he replied lamely, wincing as he realized that he’d phrased it like a question.

She laughed a little. “If you’re just nervous about our date, Billy, that’s fine. I’m just asking because it seems like something else.”

He shuffled his feet, suddenly realizing that he was wearing his black motorcycle boots. Did you wear motorcycle boots to a place like this?

He blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ve just never taken someone to a place like this, Robin. I don’t even remember ever going to a place like this before.”

“So why did you choose here?” she wondered patiently.

He bit his lip and shrugged. “I wanted to take you someplace nice,” he confessed. “That’s what you do when you really like someone, right?”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek again, putting her arms around him this time. He inhaled sharply as he felt her breasts against his partially bare chest, but steadfastly ignored all of the feelings the action brought up.

“What would you do if you could choose, Billy? Your perfect night out?”

He replied without thinking. “I’d grab a burger and go to the drive-in,” he admitted.

She grinned. “Then let’s do that.”

He laughed, his hands shoved into his pockets so he wouldn’t run them through his hair and mess it up. “Really?”

She nodded. “Really.”

“Let me go and, uh, cancel our reservation, okay?”

She walked with him, holding onto his arm while he did just that. A few minutes later, they were at a burger joint.

He laughed and shook his head in disbelief as he watched her eat a giant burger, fries, and a shake. He knew she loved food, of course, and he’d seen her eat before, but it was just so strange on a date. He wasn’t used to girls who ate like that, especially in front of a guy they were trying to impress, even if it was just for sex.

They ate at the restaurant, at least. Then, at her request, he took her to the drive-in, where they were playing _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ for one more night to wrap up their Halloween retrospective.

“Thought that one might be too scary for you,” he observed. In his experience, girls didn’t really like scary movies.

“Nope,” she disagreed, shaking her head. “I love scary movies, and that one is my favorite.”

Which was why they sat in the backseat of his car instead of in the front or on the hood. It was a chilly night, and they could barely see the screen, but she said she’d seen it so many times that hearing it was enough. He’d seen it before too, so he wasn’t worried about it. He was just worried about making her happy.

She rested her head against his shoulder as they watched the beginning of the movie. When Tina and Rod started to have sex, though, her hand reached over and squeezed his thigh.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to girls hitting on him, of course. Girls hit on him all the time. But he honestly hadn’t expected Robin to be so forward.

Then she got more forward as she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, “I’ve thought about doing that with you, Billy.” Her voice shook, like she was nervous about bringing this up, despite what he’d said earlier about her not having to be afraid. “I’ve imagined you in bed with me like that.”

“Hopefully not exactly like that,” he corrected softly, watching as Tina got murdered on the screen.

She giggled. “Are you trying to tell me no, Billy? It’s okay if you are.”

He put an arm around her and pulled her into his side. He couldn’t deny that he liked having her close. That wasn’t the problem.

“I want to, Robin,” he revealed quietly. “I really do. It’s not that at all. I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you. It’s just that I don’t… trust myself.”

She moved her hand from his thigh, slipping it around him and snuggling closer instead. “Trust yourself to…?” she trailed off, clearly wanting him to fill in the blank.

He licked his lips. “I don’t trust myself to know my own feelings if I bring sex into this too quickly,” he clarified. “I know that, for a lot of people, sex is what makes a relationship special. But the only relationships I’ve had were just about sex. So I guess I think that if I leave it out for a while, I can concentrate on the other stuff. Does that make sense?”

I chanced looking at her, relieved to find that she was smiling up at me sweetly. “I understand, Billy. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” I told her. “You want what you want too. Honestly, I don’t know how fair it is to ask you to wait.”

“It’s fair,” she promised. “It doesn’t hurt me to wait, Billy. And I’d never force you to do something you weren’t ready for. It didn’t work so great the first time.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he disagreed. “It was barely even an hour later that I was marching back across the street to kiss you, after all.”

When she blushed, he added, “We could do that. Kiss. Make out. That counts as taking it slow, right?”

“I think so, Billy.”

So he tipped her chin up and kissed her. Then kissed her again. And again.

Even though he wouldn’t take her home that night, he could still give her something to fantasize about.


	8. Total Eclipse of the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin’s relationship grinds to a halt when he receives a phone call.

A few weeks later, Billy found himself in an extremely cheerful mood. Work was going well. Max was settling in at school and had friends. And he was dancing around getting ready to go on yet another date with a woman he was pretty convinced was perfect now.

Despite how sweet and understanding she’d been, he thought that she’d also been waiting a long time for him. Tonight, he was going to give her what she wanted.

He was smiling about it, contemplating skipping their date entirely and taking her straight to bed, when the phone rang. He turned off the music and picked it up, expecting to hear the voice of his boss asking him to take an extra shift, or maybe even Chief Hopper asking if Max could sleep over with El.

“Hello?”

“I know where you are, prick.”

Billy’s smile vanished as his blood instantly ran cold. “Neil,” he murmured, sounding far more like a little boy than he wanted to.

He’d never been able to stand up to his father. Not really. The few times that he had even talked back, he had paid for it. He was disappointed to find that it was the same even when a phone separated them.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you, Billy? Did you think I wouldn’t realize you’d fucking kidnapped your sister? My daughter?”

“She’s not your daughter,” he said automatically.

The comment had the same tone as when he used to tell people that Max wasn’t his sister. Angry. Derisive. Back then, he’d been pissed to be saddled with a sister that he had to look after whenever his dad and stepmother didn’t feel like handling her. But in this case, it was just true. Neil didn’t deserve to be a father to anyone, even his own son.

“The hell she isn’t,” Neil spit back.

He told himself to be brave. He was a man now, not a scared little boy. And he was responsible for Max. He was eighteen. Neil couldn’t make him go back even if he did find them. But he could make Max go back. With her biological mother and father in the wind, unable to be found, Neil was still technically her legal guardian.

The one saving grace Billy had was that he knew Neil wouldn’t involve the police. That would make his life way too complicated, which was why he’d known they could run in the first place. But if he knew where they were now, it was only a matter of time before he showed up to handle it himself.

“Where are you?” Billy asked. “When are you coming?”

“When you least expect it, asshole,” Neil hissed. “I am coming for you, Maxine, and anyone who gets in my way.”

Before Billy could say anything else, Neil hung up. He pulled the receiver from his ear and just stared at it for a moment.

When he finally hung it up, the first thing he did was look through the window and across the street. He swallowed, his throat thick as he saw Robin leaving her house. She was wearing the red dress from their first date again. It was his favorite, and she’d figured it out pretty quickly, so she wore it a lot.

His heart clenched in his chest as he realized he would have to give her up. It was the reason he’d wanted to keep her at arm’s length in the first place, but she’d made him feel safe, so he’d let her in. But Neil had said that he was coming for anyone who got in his way.

And Robin would definitely get in his way. If she saw someone trying to hurt him and Max, Billy knew she’d do anything to stop it. She cared about them both too much to stand aside.

So he had no choice. He had to get her to leave him alone without telling her why. If he confessed everything, she’d never let it go, and then she’d get hurt anyway. He just couldn’t have that. He couldn’t stand thinking that he was the reason she’d gotten hurt.

But he’d have to settle for hurting her emotionally. He’d done it once, so he knew he could.

It had almost broken his heart before. It was definitely going to break it this time.

He had to do it now. If he stood there and thought about it, he would talk himself out of it, and he couldn’t afford that.

So before she reached his doorstep, he flew out the door, heading for the car. Max was at the arcade, so he had to pick her up and figure out what they were going to do.

“Billy?”

He turned and looked at her, gripping the open driver’s side door of the Camaro so tight it was practically slicing into his palm. She was flushed and smiling, and even though he knew that what he was doing was for her own good, he suddenly felt like the worst person in the world.

“I have to go pick Max up,” he found himself saying, the words pouring out before he could even think about them.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, moving towards the car like she intended to go with him.

He skipped over her question and just plowed ahead. “We can’t see each other anymore, Robin,” he blurted out abruptly, losing his momentum when it suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“What, Billy?”

She was confused, hesitant, and he could hardly blame her. His reaction made no sense based on everything that had happened between them recently. When they were together, he couldn’t stop smiling. He’d grown increasingly affectionate to the point where he hardly ever had his hands off of her if they were in the same room.

He’d allowed himself to slip during the past few weeks. He’d pictured a whole life with her. The perfect life she wanted and deserved. In his mind, he’d built her that white picket fence. He’d found a dog for them to take home. He’d even imagined getting her pregnant one day, and that was something he’d never thought he’d want.

“I said we can’t see each other anymore. It’s over. No more dating, no more food, no more deliveries.”

He could hardly hear his own words over the beating of his heart. His head was pounding, and he felt a hot bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face from his forehead. He felt dizzy, and he quickly got into the car just so he didn’t have to stand up anymore.

She was still standing there. She’d stopped walking and was now twisting her hands together. He didn’t want to look at her face. He knew she was crying. He didn’t know if he could look at her crying and not go to her.

So he turned his head away. Maybe she’d think the gesture meant that he just didn’t care. As much as it killed him, that would be for the best. If she thought that, maybe she could just get angry and get over him.

If she moved on, she’d at least be safe. He wanted to be with her, more than anything. The worst part was that he was only realizing that right now, when it was impossible for him to have her.

A cold wave rippled through his body, prickling his skin. He wanted to tell her the truth more than anything in the world, but he couldn’t. She would never be safe if he did that.

His hands felt numb, but he forced himself to grip the steering wheel. He slammed the door shut, turned the car on and revved its engine, and then peeled out of the driveway and down the street without sparing her a second glance.

Black spots threatened to overtake his vision as he drove recklessly towards Max. It was like his body was rejecting his decision to end things with Robin. But he didn’t have a choice. He just didn’t.

He stopped in front of the arcade and laid on the horn. Max would have heard the car and known it was him. Sure enough, less than a minute later, she was out the door, a confused look on her face as her new friends watched her from the doorway.

But as soon as she saw him, she waved them away and got in the car. “Billy? What happened?”

Billy squeezed the steering wheel between his hands. “Neil knows where we are,” he said softly.

Max stayed silent. He glanced at her, surprised to see that she didn’t look afraid. Instead, she just looked thoughtful. She looked at him, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, then asked, “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “He said he’s coming, though. For us and anyone who gets in his way.”

“Did you break up with Robin?”

He sniffled and angrily wiped his eyes as he finally started to cry. He managed to nod.

When Max reached over and grabbed his hand, he started to cry harder. “I had to, Max. He’ll hurt her. I can’t let him hurt her.”

“Are we leaving?” she pressed.

He shook his head. “I don’t think we can. We don’t have enough money left. And if he found us here, he can find us anywhere. I’m not sure it matters.”

But maybe he was just saying that because he wanted to stay near her. To keep an eye on her, even if they weren’t together, so he could know that she was safe.

It was Max who said what he was thinking. The thought that he dreaded coming true. “If we leave and he comes here looking for us, he’ll ask around and find out you dated her. He might hurt her to find us, even if she doesn’t know anything.”

Suddenly, Billy screamed and punched the steering wheel. He hurt his hand, but he didn’t give a shit about that right now. He was shaking in terror at the thought of Neil laying even one finger on Robin.

Max didn’t flinch, which made him even more angry. No kid should be used to seeing adults act like he was acting right now.

“You should tell her the truth, Billy,” Max suggested gently. “You’ve been so happy these past few weeks.”

He shook his head. “If she knows, she won’t let it go. She’ll get hurt.”

“And if we stay, even if you’re not seeing her, she might get hurt. If we leave, she might get hurt. Isn’t it better if you’re there to protect her?”

Billy shook his head violently, his hair whipping from side to side. “No. I’m not telling her,” he said firmly. “And you’re not telling her either. Promise me.”

“I promise,” she hurriedly agreed, then paused. “But, Billy,” she started hesitantly, “if we can’t leave…”

“What is it, Max?”

He just wanted to go home and cry all night. He didn’t want to think about this. But he had to.

She sighed. “Why don’t we stand up to him, Billy? I like it here. You like it here. You like Robin, and I do too, and I have great friends here. They would help us.”

“You haven’t told them anything, have you?” he snapped.

“No, of course not,” Max insisted calmly. “But we’re never going to be able to have a life if we’re just running from him all the time. I don’t want to run. I want to fight for what we deserve.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Billy decided after a long silence. “If it’s safer, we run.”

She nodded. “Okay, sure.” He could tell that she didn’t agree, but as she rubbed his arm and murmured, “Just breathe, Billy,” it became clear that she was trying to get him to calm down.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you,” Billy vowed.

“I know.”

They sat together, surrounded by the sound of the car idling. When he finally felt capable, he threw it into drive, being more careful as he pulled onto the street this time.

“Billy, if we stop him, you can be with her,” Max pointed out quietly.

He just shook his head in response. He couldn’t let himself have that kind of hope.

It all felt so impossible, and he didn’t see how it could be fixed.


	9. Time After Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max pushes Billy and Robin back together at the Snow Ball.

Robin checked her hair in the mirror one more time. She didn’t really have to. She looked perfect, and she knew it. Her dress was white and silver and light blue. It made her glitter like a snowflake, which seemed appropriate since she was about to chaperone the Snow Ball at the middle school.

She’d volunteered while she was still dating Billy. She’d thought about bowing out, but she knew how hard it was for them to find help, and she didn’t want to leave anyone in the lurch.

She knew she was dawdling because she might see him. She’d definitely see Max. That wasn’t quite as bad, but it still hurt.

It had only been a week since Billy had unexpectedly broken off all contact with her, but it felt like an eternity. She hadn’t realized how hard it would be to go back to being alone after she’d had Billy.

Especially since she had no idea why he’d suddenly cut her off. She’d thought they were in a good place.

She shook her head. That was a lie. She’d known they were in a good place. She didn’t believe that Billy saying goodbye had anything to do with her. She couldn’t believe that.

She’d been trying to talk to him all week. It was clear that he was miserable. And she could tell Max wanted to talk to her, because she stared thoughtfully across the street every time she came home from school. Robin hadn’t bothered her. She figured that if Max wanted to talk to her, she’d come over.

But she hadn’t, and Billy hadn’t, and Robin was about to give up. She couldn’t make him talk, no matter how much she wanted him to.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if he didn’t live right across the street. Then she could at least try to pretend he didn’t exist. But he was right there, all the time, and since she worked from home, she noticed every time he came and went. It was impossible to forget him when he was constantly present.

The doorbell rang and she took a deep breath. She couldn’t put it off any longer. She’d had to hitch a ride with Nancy, who was volunteering since her little brother and all of his friends would be at the dance, and she didn’t want to be rude.

She grabbed her purse and opened the door, giving Nancy the best smile she could manage. “Thanks for picking me up, Nancy. I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Robin. Thanks for volunteering.” She bit her lip as they headed to her car. “I, uh, heard about you and Billy. Sorry.”

Robin nodded tightly. “Thanks.”

What else was she supposed to say? She just knew Nancy from school. They weren’t close. She couldn’t really talk about her feelings with her. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to, either. They were the kind of feelings that should be private, she thought.

Even though they had only been together for a few short weeks, she had planned the rest of her life with him in it. She’d imagined it all. Sex, living together, marriage, kids, growing old together. Now all of that was gone, and she didn’t know what could possibly be done about it.

So she turned the conversation to the dance instead. Nancy seemed grateful for the change in topic and joined in enthusiastically.

Luckily, when they arrived at the dance, there was plenty to do, so it kept them busy.

She was carrying an armful of streamers and tinsel through the back hallway into the gym when she ran right into Billy.

She didn’t even look up at his face. She could tell it was him just because of the smell. It was a smell she missed. She’d spent so many of their dates wrapped up in the cocoon of his cologne and hairspray, and it was a scent she’d begun to associate with safety.

For a moment, he just held onto her upper arms, which he’d reflexively grabbed to keep them from colliding completely. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she hoped that he was about to break their silence. Say something, anything that might mean it wasn’t entirely over. That there was at least more to talk about.

But then he let go and rushed past her without a word. She took a moment to gather herself before heading back out to the floor.

Nancy noticed her and came to stand beside her. She whispered, “I heard he came because he didn’t know if you were anymore.”

“He could have just asked me,” Robin mumbled.

Secretly, part of her hoped that the reason he was avoiding her was because he didn’t trust himself to not succumb to his feelings if he had to see and talk to her. But that was probably too much to ask for.

As the dance started, she leaned against the wall and watched the kids. Max was dancing with Lucas, her shock of red hair easily visible in the middle of the room. They all looked like they were having fun, at least.

She focused on cleaning up as the dance continued, forcing herself not to look for Billy. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene and cry in front of everyone here, and that was what would happen if she tried to talk to him and he rejected her again.

As she returned from carrying some trash through the same back hallway, she heard the door open and flinched, wondering if it would be Billy again. Her face softened a bit when she saw that it was Max.

She smiled at her. She knew the smile was sad, but that was all she could manage for now.

When she moved to walk past her, though, the younger girl grabbed her arm. “Wait. Please wait, Robin. I know you’re sad, but it’s not Billy’s fault.”

Robin turned and looked at her. All she did was blink owlishly, though. She didn’t quite know what to say to that.

Max sighed. “Look, I can’t tell you why Billy broke up with you, all right? But I can tell you that it’s not because he doesn’t like you. It’s because he’s afraid you’re going to get hurt.”

“But I’m already hurt,” Robin replied automatically. Then she flushed and tried to pull her arm away. “But you don’t have to worry about that, Max. You’re just a kid.”

“I know, but… you’re the only one who’s ever made my brother happy, okay? He’s been a totally different person since we moved here, and I think it’s mostly because of you.”

Robin swallowed. She didn’t want to hear this, not from Max. She’d already tried to change the fact that Billy wouldn’t talk to her. This only made it worse.

“He won’t talk to me, Max.”

The girl rolled her eyes and tugged on Robin’s arm. “So make him! Corner him and tell him you know that he’s just protecting you! Just don’t give up. Please. Not if you still want him.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I have to go back. Just… talk to him, okay? Please.”

She turned and pushed through the door, her hair whirling around her, glowing like a sunset. Robin was left standing alone in the hallway. She shivered and hugged herself, then headed back out to the floor.

At first, she had no intention of doing what Max had said. But despite that, she found her eyes following Billy around the room now, just waiting for a chance to confront him. At the very least, it would give her peace of mind to see what he said.

When he slipped into the back hallway by himself, she hurried after him, shutting the door and locking it behind her, then backing up against it. Billy whipped around quickly, his eyes blazing, like he was ready for a fight.

For a moment, Robin shrank back against the door, wondering if she’d made a mistake. His eyes were wild, and his muscles were tense and bulging against the short sleeves of the tight blue button-down he was wearing. But as soon as he saw that it was her, his expression changed and he relaxed.

While he was composing himself, she started talking so he couldn’t just immediately tell her to leave. “Max told me, Billy,” she began.

But before she could continue, he was on her, his hands gripping her upper arms again. “Told you what?” he whispered, his eyes getting that wild look in them once more. When she didn’t answer, he shook her a little. “Told you what, Robin?” he asked again, louder this time.

His fingers were digging into her skin, and he just seemed angry. Maybe Max had been wrong. Maybe Billy had told her one thing was going on when it was really something else.

“Billy, you’re scaring me,” she whimpered.

That got his attention. His eyes went wide and he stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice small but sincere. “I… didn’t mean to hurt you.”

His blue eyes bored into hers as if he was begging her to understand that he meant the words to apply to more than just now. Suddenly, she realized that Max was right. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, and he was hurting just as much as she was, if not more, just like she’d thought.

“What did Max tell you?” he repeated softly, looking down at his feet so he no longer had to meet her eyes.

“Just that the reason you broke up with me was because you wanted to protect me,” she admitted. “She said that something happened, and that she couldn’t tell me what, but that it wasn’t your fault.”

He swallowed, nodding almost imperceptibly. “It’s for your own good,” he agreed. “I can’t say more. It would just put you in danger.”

“But what about you, Billy?” she insisted. “Are you in danger?”

“I can handle it.”

She shut her eyes. She couldn’t think clearly when she was looking at him. When she opened them again, he was still standing there, looking at her face like he was seeing her in for the last time.

She couldn’t let that happen. It tore her apart inside to think about being without him. So she stood on her tiptoes and took his face between her hands, making him look at her. He tried to pull away, tried to resist, but she held on tight.

“Billy, please just listen to me,” she begged. “I can tell that you’re scared. I can tell that you’re worried about me. And I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me. But I can protect myself, Billy, and I can help protect you and Max too. I want to do that.”

She saw the tears gather in the corners of his eyes and knew that he was done resisting. “I’m so scared, Robin,” he confessed. “I’m scared of being alone, but I’m scared of getting you hurt. I don’t even know how to start explaining what could happen to you if you stay with me.”

“Then don’t,” she soothed him gently. “Don’t explain. Not until you’re ready. Whatever it is, I will help you and stick by you. Because you’re not alone, Billy. You never have to be as long as I’m here.”

“But what if I lose you?” he asked bluntly.

She couldn’t lie to him. “You might,” she agreed. “Would it hurt less if you stayed away from me for my own good, though?” she reasoned. “Isn’t it better to have me, even if it’s only for a little while, rather than to never have me at all?”

“I don’t want you for a little while, Robin.” His voice quavered. “I want you forever. And if something I was responsible for was what took you away, I don’t think I could live with myself.”

“Billy…”

He put a finger on her lips. “So I promise to protect you, Robin. No matter what it takes. From… this… and always.”

She put her arms around him and nodded as she melted into his embrace. He held her tightly, burying his nose in her hair and breathing her in.

“It’s okay, Billy,” she assured him.

It would be. She had to believe that. Not just about this, but about everything. Because if you couldn’t believe that everything could turn out all right, what was the point of living at all?

He didn’t say anything, but she could feel the protest in his tight grip. He thought that something bad was going to happen to her because of him, and nothing was going to convince him otherwise. So she’d just have to hang on for both of them, until she could prove that they were going to get through this and be just fine.

She heard a song start to play and she smiled. “Last one,” she explained. “We should get back out there to help.”

Billy smiled back, unlocking the door and steering her through it, then tugging her onto the dance floor. “Only after you dance with me,” he bargained.

And so they danced. He was still tight with worry as she tucked her head under his chin and they started to sway together.

But he was with her, and he wasn’t going anywhere, and that was what mattered most.


	10. Can't Fight This Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy tells Robin his secrets.

Billy and Max went to get the car while Robin found Nancy and told her she’d be riding home with them.

They walked in a vaguely tense silence until Max finally asked, “Are you mad at me?”

He shook his head. “I’m not mad, Max. I know why you did it. So we’re cool, okay?”

She beamed at him. “So we’re staying?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We’re staying.”

How could he not? Even if Robin hadn’t been a factor, Max was happy here, and he couldn’t ignore that.

That didn’t change the fact that he still felt like a shadow was hovering over them. A shiver ran up his spine even as Robin joined them, reaching across the seat to tangle their fingers together.

He told himself to be brave again. For her and for Max. And for himself. If he could stand up to Neil, he could do anything, right?

He pulled into his driveway and they all got out. Max ran ahead, but Billy waited for Robin, grabbing her hand as soon as she was around the car. “Would you like to stay? I’d come over to your place, but I don’t want to leave Max alone right now.”

“I completely understand, Billy. I’d love to stay.”

“Did you want to grab anything first?”

She looked across the street, but her fingers also tightened around his. He knew she was reluctant to go, like if they separated, all of the progress they’d just made would be undone.

“I can give you something to sleep in,” he offered. “If you’d like to stay the night. I mean, we shouldn’t… do anything… since Max is going to be here, but…”

She beamed up at him. “I’d still love to stay, Billy. Let’s go inside.”

He led her in, making sure to lock the door securely behind them. He got her a shirt to wear so she could change while he checked the rest of the house, making sure each window and door was shut and locked.

He knocked on Max’s door as he walked past, sticking his head in once she told him it was okay. “Did you have a good time?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

He smiled at her. “Good. Robin’s staying the night, but there’s not going to be any, ah, funny business, okay? So just let us know if you need anything, all right?”

“Are you going to tell her everything?” she wondered.

Billy paused, his brow furrowed. Max crossed her arms and stared at him. “You should,” she told him pointedly. “She deserves to know.”

“Yeah,” he finally agreed. “I know. I’ll tell her.”

“Tonight?” Max pressed, arching an eyebrow.

Billy chuckled. “Tonight, Max. I promise.”

“Okay. See you in the morning, then.”

“Yeah. Night, kid.”

“Night, Billy.”

He shut her door and went further down the hallway to his bedroom, knocking before he went in, even though the door was cracked. “Come in!” Robin called.

He pushed the door open, closing it behind him without turning so he could stare at her. She was sitting on his bed, wearing one of his button-down shirts, her knees drawn up to her chest. He could just see the panties she was wearing, and he quickly looked away, blushing.

“I don’t mind if you look, Billy,” she said softly.

He smirked. “Looking is what will get me into trouble, I think,” he confessed.

When he looked back up at her, she was blushing too, but she’d rearranged her legs so her panties were no longer visible. He started to unbutton his shirt, wanting to get out of his clothes.

As he started to unbutton his jeans, he remembered that he wasn’t wearing any underwear. “Um, I’ll be right back,” he told her, grabbing his sweatpants and planning to head to the bathroom.

“I know you don’t wear underwear, Billy,” she told him, giggling. “I’ve watched you walk away from me plenty of times. I’ll close my eyes, though.”

He smiled to himself as he glanced at her and saw her eyes dutifully closed, then quickly pushed his jeans down and replaced them with the sweatpants. Then he walked over to the bed and sat behind her, running his fingers down her arm and kissing her cheek as he pulled her back against him.

“You can look now,” he murmured against her ear.

Her eyes popped open and she tipped her head back to look at him. “Hi.”

She shifted so she was leaning against him, her arms clasped around his neck, her legs draped over his thigh. He held her against him gratefully. He felt calm for the first time since Neil had called and, lulled by that relaxation, the story started to pour out of him.

“When I was a kid,” he began, “my mom left. My dad had been hitting her for a long time. I tried to stop him a few times, but I couldn’t. I was short and scrawny, nothing like I am now, and he scared me. I remember her calling me and telling me she was leaving. And telling me I couldn’t go with her.”

He chanced a look down at her, smiling a little once more as he saw that she was gazing up at him with sympathetic eyes. No one had ever given him sympathy before.

“I’m sorry, Billy,” she murmured.

He nodded, smoothing his thumb over her cheekbone affectionately. “After she left, my dad was angry. Since she wasn’t around to punish, he took it out on me. Then he married Max’s mom, Susan. I was afraid that he’d hurt Max too, but he never laid a finger on her. Susan didn’t like what he did to me. I could tell. But she didn’t do anything about it either. Once Max figured it out, it made her angry, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it, even if she’d wanted to, you know?”

Robin nodded back to indicate that she understood. He bit his lip. He really didn’t want to tell this part of the story. She’d seen an entirely different side of him, and he would have preferred that she never really knew about the other.

But he didn’t want to lie anymore, so he went ahead. “I started taking my anger out on Max. And anyone else who pissed me off. I got into fights at school, drove my car too fast, smoked, drank, messed around with girls. Anything to distract myself from what was happening at home. I… wasn’t a good person.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You were just a kid, Billy. And you’re allowed to make mistakes.”

“I made way too many,” he decided, kissing her temple and playing with her hair. “I was going down a bad road. The worst road. And then Susan left.”

When he paused, she asked, “Why did she leave?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I never saw my dad get that upset with her. Maybe he did it in private. Maybe he did it while I was gone. But one day she called Max and told her she was getting back together with Max’s father and that she was leaving her with my dad. Neil,” he amended. “I actually don’t like to think of him as my dad anymore.”

“I understand why. Is that when you left with Max?”

“Yeah. I just…” He sighed. “Seeing her like that, listening to her mom say goodbye, reminded me of me. I really wanted someone to rescue me back then, but nobody did. When I realized that I could rescue her, I just had to. So I took her and we ran.”

“And he’s looking for you?” she murmured. “That’s how I might get hurt?”

“Yes.” He squeezed her tighter. “And it’s not just theoretical. He called me the night that I told you it was over. He said he knows where we are and he’s coming for us. And anybody else who gets in his way.” He smiled down at her, tipping her chin up and rubbing his nose against hers. “You’d get in his way, Robin,” he whispered. “I know you would. If you saw someone trying to hurt Max or me, you’d never just stand by.”

“I wouldn’t have even if we weren’t together, Billy.”

“I know. It was stupid of me to try and protect you the way I did. Max told me that it didn’t matter. That if Neil came and we were gone, or you and I weren’t together anymore, that he would still find out we had been for a while and go after you.”

He was silent for a moment. She didn’t say anything, just leaning against him while he worked through his thoughts.

“I just couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt because of me, Robin.” His voice was shaky. “It’s my fault that he might find out about you. If I had just resisted and left you alone…”

“I’m your neighbor, Billy,” she soothed him. “He would have come asking no matter what. It is not your fault.”

He inhaled sharply as she shifted again so she was straddling his hips. “None of it was your fault, Billy,” she assured him, pulling his head down and pressing their lips together. “It was his fault, and anything that happens now is his fault. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, and you don’t deserve to live in fear for the rest of your life either. You deserve to be happy, Billy.”

“I want to be.”

The words were barely even a whisper, and they were almost lost as he kissed her desperately, his hands groping her thighs and then her ass as she rocked against him, her arms clasped around his neck. He’d said that they couldn’t do anything because Max was home, but he was sorely tempted with her in his arms like this.

“The night that I told you we couldn’t see each other anymore,” he gasped, “I was going to take you to bed.”

“I know,” she admitted softly. “Why do you think I wore that dress? I wanted you to…”

She blushed deeply and abruptly stopped talking, so he flipped her over on the bed and ground his hips into hers, moaning into her neck as his throbbing erection pressed between her thighs. “You wanted me to what, Robin?”

When she didn’t answer and kept her eyes firmly shut, he grabbed her chin between his fingers. “Open your eyes and tell me, Robin,” he rasped.

Her hazel eyes fluttered open. They were darker than usual as she looked up at him, her hands braced against his chest. When she spoke, her voice quavered. “I wanted you to pull my skirt up and take me against the door,” she confessed shyly. “And then I wanted you to tear it off of me before you took me to bed.”

“Fucking hell, Robin,” he growled. “I thought you were a virgin.”

She squeaked as she gazed up at him. “How did you know that?” she wondered shyly, her cheeks redder than he’d ever seen them.

“Educated guess,” Billy grunted.

He leaned down and kissed her again, softer this time, trying to calm himself down. As much as he wanted to, he could not do this with her tonight. He had to be prepared so that he could be gentle, like she deserved. If he took her right now, it would be rough and hard, the only way he knew how.

He was determined that she would get better than that from him. He took several deep, calming breaths as he kissed his way down her neck, stopping just short of where she’d buttoned his shirt over her breasts.

“You need rest, Robin,” he murmured. “And so do I.”

“I know, Billy.”

He moved, pulling the covers up over them both before he settled in behind her, pulling her against him so he could keep her close. As he hugged her, he pressed his lips to her ear. “I’d never destroy that dress, by the way,” he told her. “I love it too much.”

She giggled. “I like it too.”

When she fell silent again, he nudged her gently. “We will, Robin, okay? I just don’t want it to be rushed. I don’t want to have to be worried that Max is going to walk in on us, or have to hold my hand over your mouth when I’m making you scream my name.”

She turned and looked up at him, smiling. He winked at her. “I’m telling you it will be worth the wait, for the record,” he explained.

He hoped. If he could figure out how to be the kind of man she needed.

“I know it will, Billy. I’m sorry if I was too forward again.”

He shook his head at her reassuringly. “It’s all right, Robin. I don’t ever want you to have to keep anything from me. No more secrets, all right? Not between us.”

“No more secrets,” she agreed.

But she looked uncertain. Billy knew she was probably doubting whether or not he could hold up his end of that deal, and that was entirely fair.

He smiled as he looked down at her again and realized that she was already asleep. He kissed her cheek and spooned her tighter, taking another deep breath. At least he was only half-hard now. He could manage that.

As he closed his eyes, he vowed to himself that he would prove to her that he could be open and honest. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

He was all in, and he knew she was too. Now he just had to show her that he could be a part of the perfect life she’d envisioned for herself.


	11. Is This Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin tells Billy her secrets.

Robin woke the next morning when the sun streamed through the slit in the curtains and hit her face. She sat up in bed and glanced beside her, smiling when she saw Billy sprawled out beside her.

She blushed as she looked down the length of his body and saw that he was once again hard in his sweatpants, just like he’d been last night. She wanted to do something for him, but she knew that now wasn’t the time. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before slipping out of bed to make a quick visit to the bathroom.

Then she made her way to the kitchen. Max was already there, poking around in the fridge. She leaned her head out when she heard Robin. “Morning. Are you going to make something?”

“I was planning on it.” She stuck her own head in the fridge beside Max’s. “I think I’m going to have to run across the street, though. Think Billy would be okay with it if you came with me?”

“Sure. We’ll be together, and we won’t be long.” She raised an eyebrow at Robin. “You might want to find pants, though.”

Robin looked down at her bare legs. “Good call,” she agreed. “Hang on.”

She skipped back to the bedroom and found another pair of sweatpants, pulling them on and finding her flats from the previous night. She came back out to join Max and they went across the street, shivering slightly in the cold morning air.

“What do you want, kid?” Robin asked Max, ruffling her hair playfully.

“French toast?” Max asked hopefully.

Robin nodded. “You got it.”

She grabbed a paper bag she’d saved from the store and got everything she needed to make it. She also grabbed extra eggs, bacon, a few vegetables, and all the fresh oranges she had. She and Max carried everything back across the street and then she got set up in the kitchen.

One thing she’d noticed that Billy did have was a coffeemaker, so she set that up first, then started to work on everything else. Max hovered beside her until Robin smiled and put an arm around her. “Want to help?”

“Can I?”

“Of course. Come on.”

They were busily flipping French toast, cooking bacon, and chopping vegetables when Billy came into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Robin from behind and kissed her neck, making her giggle.

“You look good in my clothes,” he murmured. “How can I help?”

“Start cooking these veggies for me?” Robin suggested, turning her head and giving him a quick kiss.

“You’ll have to show me what to do. I’m useless in the kitchen.”

She laughed and gave him a quick lesson while Max flipped more French toast. Once she added the eggs to the vegetables, she took back over, sending Billy to set the table. He also poured two mugs of coffee, then offered to squeeze the oranges.

Robin watched him appreciatively. His bare arms and torso flexed with each movement, and she finally had to look away and fan herself with a towel.

After, Billy and Robin cleaned up while Max got ready. Mrs. Wheeler had invited all the members of The Party and their families over that afternoon, and they’d agreed to go during breakfast. Billy had mentioned that it would even probably be safer to be around as many people as possible. Neil couldn’t try anything that way.

As Robin wiped down the last dirty spot on the counter, she sighed. Billy slid over and put an arm around her, pulling her into his side. “What is it?” he asked softly.

She bit her lip. “You said no more secrets,” she murmured, looking up at him.

He frowned slightly, turning so he could take her completely into his arms. “And I’m not keeping any others, Robin, I swear. I mean, I haven’t told you every detail of my life, but I will eventually, if that’s what you want.”

She smiled up at him sadly. “I’m not talking about you, Billy. I’m talking about me.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “What could you possibly have to hide, Robin?”

She leaned against him, burying her face in his chest. “I’m not the perfect person you think I am, Billy. I don’t have a perfect life.”

“What do you mean?” he asked gently.

His hand moved over her back slowly, comfortingly. She swallowed against the lump in her throat and finally said, “My father’s gone, Billy. He… left me behind.”

“What?” He pushed her back gently so he could look at her, holding her by the upper arms. “He just… left you?”

She nodded. “He was a salesman. I didn’t lie about that.”

She was trembling, and he quickly sat down, pulling her into his lap. “Hey,” he said softly, kissing her forehead. “It’s okay. Just tell me.”

She took a deep breath. “My parents were never married. According to my dad, my mom never wanted to be pregnant. But it was the 60s, and she was afraid to get an illegal abortion, so she decided to have me as long as my dad took me and she never had to be a part of my life.”

Billy squeezed her tight. “I’m sorry, Robin. I know what it’s like to not be wanted.”

She shrugged. “I never knew her. I think it bothered me in kind of a vague way, but I always had my dad. He took care of me. I thought we had a good relationship. He was leaving for another sales trip, and it was just… life as usual. I was helping with a birthday party all day for my business, and when I came back, all of his things were missing. He left me a note saying that he was starting over somewhere else, and that I couldn’t come with him.”

Billy shook his head. “It’s not fair,” he whispered. “It’s not fair that they get to bring us into this world and then just abandon us like that. When was this?”

“Last year. I was seventeen.”

“Is that why you graduated early?” he wondered.

She nodded. “I had to. My business was taking off, and I knew I could use it to take care of myself. The house was paid off, at least, and he transferred the deed to me. I guess he didn’t think there was a point in trying to sell it. Maybe he had money put away that I didn’t know about, or maybe someone in his new life can take care of him. But I had to be able to work all the time.”

After another moment of silence, she added, “I’ve never told anyone, Billy. I think they’re starting to realize, finally, but no one’s mentioned it. And… that’s why it hurt so much when you left me without an explanation. It felt like being abandoned all over again. I know you did it for my own good, but I didn’t know that at the time, and…”

He kissed her forehead again and squeezed her tighter. “That’s not going to happen ever again, Robin. I promise.”

“I know, Billy.”

“Thank you for telling me the truth.” He tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes. “I didn’t need you to be perfect, Robin. And you’re still perfect for me. I think you understand me in a way that no one else can. And you still deserve to have a perfect life. I still want to give that to you.”

“It doesn’t have to be perfect, Billy. As long as it’s with you.”

Her heart beat fast as he held her. She had known it before. She’d tried to push it down, but it was impossible to deny it any longer. She was in love with Billy Hargrove, and if she had it her way, he was going to be her happy ending.

****

They went to the Wheelers’ house early for the party so Robin could help with the food. Billy lingered in the kitchen, helping wherever he could, mostly by grabbing dishes and ingredients when she asked for them.

He was in awe of how easy she made it look. She ransacked Mrs. Wheeler’s kitchen and the ingredients other guests had brought and turned it into ambrosia salad, deviled eggs, seven layer dip, spinach dip in a hollowed out bread bowl, stuffed mushrooms, pasta salad, and something she called sloppy joe nachos.

“How do you do that?” he wondered, sneaking up beside her to kiss her cheek before helping to carry everything out to the table.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just see ingredients as something complete. I always have.”

“It’s incredible. Thank you.”

She beamed at him. “You’re welcome.”

They arranged everything on the table and then she gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek just as everyone else started to arrive. She went to man the food table while he helped get the kids situated. He wanted to keep an eye on both her and Max as much as possible.

As everyone converged on the food table, he leaned against the wall and observed. Robin was great with the kids, explaining all the food to them, letting them try things, helping them get their plates ready. The adults went through mostly on their own, but she was still sweet and polite.

Once the table was clear, he ambled up to pick at the leftovers. It was shocking how much was still left. She was getting her own plate too.

He only realized how long he’d been staring at her when she nudged him. “Hey. You okay?”

“Yeah,” he assured her, grabbing a little of everything. “Remind me to work out more from now on,” he said, patting his stomach. “You’re going to keep spoiling me with all this great food, I know.”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way to work it off,” she whispered, grinning.

He licked his lips as she went to take a seat and talk to everyone. “Yes, we will,” he murmured under his breath.

Yesterday, he’d thought he’d have to leave her behind forever for her own good. Today, he was planning the rest of his life around her again.

He was definitely in love with her. There was no question about it now. Even if he felt like he had no idea what to do with that information, it was the truth.

He ate thoughtfully, trying to come up with a plan. A grand declaration seemed appropriate. Maybe he’d finally take her to Enzo’s, like he’d meant to on their first date. She deserved something grand after everything she’d been through, and everything he’d put her through.

Regardless of what he did, though, he wasn’t ever going to hurt her again. And he wasn’t going to let anyone else hurt her either. That was the most important thing now.


	12. Hungry Like the Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin finally go all the way.

Billy held the door open for Max as she handed her bag to El and then hopped up into the backseat with her. “Call me if you need anything, okay? No matter what. We’re going to dinner, but then we’ll be at our house or Robin’s. You have both numbers.”

“Relax, Billy. El’s dad is the Chief of Police. I’ll be totally safe.”

They hadn’t told anyone else about Neil. Not yet. Billy wasn’t sure it would help, and he was more afraid of someone trying to take Max away and give her back to him once they knew the whole story. Morally, he was in the right, but legally, he was in the wrong, and he’d always known that.

Still, Max was probably right. Spending the night with the Chief of Police’s daughter was probably as safe as she could get without them giving out extra information. And it was doubtful that Neil would go near the police, even if he was already in town, which Billy didn’t think he was. One of the benefits to Hawkins was that it was small. New arrivals and visitors tended to stick out.

Not that Neil didn’t know how to lay low. He could take the approach of not talking to anyone at all. If he already knew their phone number, he had to have their address.

Billy figured he knew what Neil was waiting for. He thought that, inevitably, Billy would screw up or get tired of taking care of Max. Then she’d run, or he’d abandon her, or even want to give her back.

Unfortunately for Neil, that day wasn’t ever going to come. Billy was as ready as he could be, and he was going to do whatever it took to make sure his family was safe. That meant Max and Robin. He could do that. Keep two people safe. Even without help.

“I promise I’ll take care of her,” Chief Hopper replied, nodding at Billy from the front seat and ripping him out of his thoughts.

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me. You might have to try both numbers I gave you. I’m not sure where we’re going to be.”

“I won’t, son. But don’t forget to enjoy yourself. I hear you have a big date.”

The girls giggled and Billy blushed slightly. “Yes, I do. Not that that’s any of their business,” he joked, trying to deflect some attention off of him.

“Have fun, Billy!” Max called suggestively, waving at him.

He rolled his eyes and slammed the door so they could take off. Then he was left standing alone on the street, staring at Robin’s house. Her lights were on, and he knew she was getting ready for their date inside.

He took a deep breath, then headed over there. He’d asked Harrington where he’d gotten the flowers that Max had given him last time so he could get Robin more, and he’d made another reservation at Enzo’s. They’d have their big date, he’d tell her he loved her, and then he’d finally take her home to bed.

He didn’t even have to knock, because she opened the door before he even got there. He smirked as he saw that she was wearing the red dress again. “That damn dress,” he teased, holding the flowers out to her.

She took them with one hand, reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt with the other, dragging him to her. He stumbled briefly, catching himself by putting his arms around her.

She pressed her lips to his and murmured, “I don’t want to go to dinner, Billy.”

“I made a reservation,” he murmured back, his hands squeezing her hips.

He wanted her more than anything, but he also needed the buffer of dinner to prepare himself for after. Not to mention that he actually wanted to treat her to a nice dinner. She’d treated him to so many.

“But I want you now,” she begged. “Please, Billy.”

“Robin…” He brought his hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks and kissing her softly. “Robin, I need to… ease into this, or it won’t be… right.”

She pulled back and gazed up at him. “What do you mean, Billy?”

He smiled at her. “This is your first time, Robin. And I’ve done this before, but I’ve… never been gentle. I’ve never cared about who I was with the way I care about you. I don’t want to be too rough. I don’t want to hurt you. I need the time to…”

As he fumbled for the rest of the words, she pulled him inside and shut the door behind him. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, the flowers resting against his back. “Is that how you like it, Billy?” she whispered. “Rough?”

He groaned as his dick twitched in his jeans when she asked that question. She was going to make this impossible. “I guess,” he answered uncertainly. “It’s the only way I’ve ever done it.”

She kissed him again. Before he could keep protesting, she said, “Then that’s how I want it, Billy. The way you like it. I don’t want you to change because of me.”

He chuckled, but it came out a little strangled. “You want me to change in some ways, Robin. Trust me,” he murmured.

“Not this way.”

She pulled him into the kitchen and put the flowers he’d given her out the same way she had the first time he’d brought them. “Cancel our reservation,” she said, kissing his cheek and handing him the phone.

He laughed for real this time. “They’re never going to let us go there if we actually want to now. This is the second time I’ve canceled.”

“They’ll survive,” she assured him, staying tucked into his side as he made the call.

He put an arm around her, holding her close. He was afraid that he was going to drive her away if he did what she asked. He’d hurt her, and then he’d never be able to forgive himself.

But he also didn’t know if he was capable of denying her. He’d just have to be careful. He’d have to pay attention to her reactions, ask her if she was all right, listen in case she changed her mind.

It briefly occurred to him that he’d always been a horrible partner. He had never considered what a girl wanted before. Once they’d said yes and gotten in his backseat, that was the end of it for him. He knew he’d left plenty of women unfulfilled, hurt, and regretting their decision to spend a few hours with him.

Maybe there had even been some who had wanted to change their mind before it was over. They might have never said anything, but he should have realized. Should have asked. Should have been more considerate. More kind.

Sure, he’d never hit any of them. He’d always thought of that as an accomplishment, something that made him better than Neil. But it didn’t. Not really. He should have had higher standards for himself.

And now he would. He tipped her chin up and gazed down at her. “That’s really what you want, Robin?” he asked.

She nodded eagerly and he nodded back. “All right,” he relented. “But you have to promise me that if it’s too much, you will tell me to stop. I want to please you, but I don’t want to hurt you. Okay?”

“I promise, Billy,” she said immediately.

That was all he needed. He reached down and hooked an arm under her knees so he could lift her. “Where’s your bedroom?” he asked.

She pointed to a hallway off of the living room. “Last door on the right.”

He carried her there, laying her on the perfectly made bed and then falling in on top of her. She squeaked as his weight rested on her, then again as his lips came crashing down on hers.

This was not a gentle kiss like the ones he’d been giving her. It was a hard kiss, a demanding kiss, a kiss that he knew would leave her lips swollen and aching in the morning. He tugged her skirt up so he could spread her legs apart and rest between them, then sucked her lower lip into his mouth as he kissed her again.

She cleaved to him, arching her back so she could touch him more, her hands trembling as she slipped them between their bodies and started unbuttoning his shirt. As she slid it back off of his shoulders, he moved his lips down to her neck.

He hesitated as he took his shirt the rest of the way off and tossed it onto the floor. “I want to leave marks on you, Robin,” he told her. “I want…” He took a deep breath and pressed their foreheads together, looking down into her eyes as they flickered open.

“I love you, Robin,” he confessed softly. “And I want everyone to know you’re mine. But if you don’t want me to mark you where people can see, I won’t.”

“Billy…” Her eyes were shining as she stared back at him, her hands sliding up his chest to tangle in his hair. “I love you too.”

He kissed her again, another hard, desperate kiss. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. She loved him, in spite of his past, in spite of the danger hanging over them, in spite of the fact that she had every reason not to trust people after what her father had done to her.

She kissed him back with just as much eagerness, her thighs cushioning his hips. He moved his lips down to her neck again, still waiting for her answer. She understood what he wanted, because she immediately whispered, “You can mark me, Billy.”

His lips immediately latched onto her neck, his hand tipping her head back and holding it in place so he had as much access as possible. He sucked a small purple mark into her neck, grunting and grinding his hips down into her as he heard her breathing speed up. He swiped his tongue over the mark when he was done to soothe it.

She shuddered and gasped, her breasts straining against the tight fabric of her dress. He reached behind her and started to undo it enough so he could tug it down and kiss her collarbone. “If you keep making all of these amazing sounds, Robin, it’s going to be even harder for me to hold back.”

She giggled. “Good,” she murmured. “I don’t want you to hold back, Billy.”

Before he could tell her that she was playing with fire, that every nerve ending in his body felt raw and exposed because he was so ready for her, she’d reached between them again and was unbuttoning his jeans. Instead of stopping her, he started to pull on her dress again, getting it down over her bra.

He pulled away, his jeans undone, and yanked her dress off the rest of the way. He raised his eyebrows as he saw her matching red bra and panties. “I didn’t picture you as a silk and lace girl,” he admitted.

She blushed. “I’m not. I bought these just for you.”

He crawled back onto the bed with her after toeing his shoes and socks off. Her flats had come off with the dress. As he bent down, he rubbed his nose and lips over the bright red silk of her bra, pleased to feel that her nipples were already hard. She was excited, and that was good. It would make it easier for her.

He pressed his lips to the swell of her breast that was visible over the bra, sucking with the same intensity as he had on her neck. This time, she squirmed beneath him, arching her back.

He chuckled as he felt her hips press towards him, shifting his head to suck a mark into her other breast. She called out his name and her toes curled, digging into his thighs, one hand buried deep in his hair, the other hanging onto his shoulder.

He slid his hands from her hips to her breasts, lifting and squeezing them. She obviously liked him touching them, so he decided to concentrate on them for a while and make sure she was begging him for it before he really took her.

He stroked his hands around to the back of her bra, finding the clasp. “Can I?” he asked, glancing up at her, admiring the marks he’d made, which were already prominent against her pale skin.

“Yes, Billy.”

Those simple words sent a shudder up his spine. He’d never thought it could feel so good to be wanted. He’d only ever been concerned about his own pleasure, and now he realized how much more fulfilling finding that pleasure could be.

He popped the clasp on her bra, then dragged it down her arms and tossed it off the bed before lifting her breasts again. He moaned as he squeezed them. They didn’t even fit into his hands.

“You know,” he rasped, “you said you weren’t perfect, Robin, but your tits definitely are.”

She blushed and giggled, her giggle turning into a moan as he lightly pinched her pink nipples, which were already standing at attention. He pinched harder and tugged, gratified when she moaned again, louder this time.

He pushed her breasts together, bouncing them in his hands to feel their weight. It was a good thing she’d unbuttoned his jeans earlier, otherwise he wasn’t sure he would have been able to get them off now.

Part of him wanted to take his time for once, to kiss every inch of her and really explore. But he was smart enough to know that he wasn’t going to be able to last that long, not this time. And as it occurred to him that there would be plenty of other times for that, he decided it was okay.

So he kissed one of her nipples, swirling his tongue around it, waiting just in case she wanted to stop him. But when she gasped his name and pulled his head closer, he knew it was all right.

He sucked hard, groaning as he tasted her skin. She was fresh and clean, simple, and he liked it. He made sure to keep teasing her other nipple, concentrating on the way she writhed underneath him. It was warm between her legs, and when she twisted so their hips were meeting, he pressed into her, trying to get her used to the feeling of his erection against her.

He glanced up at her as he raised his head to switch breasts. Her head was tilted back, her lips were parted, and her cheeks were flushed. She kept making those breathy little noises she’d been making before, the ones that drove him crazy.

When he started to suck again, he was a little rougher. He ground into her a little harder. Their hips started to move together in a rhythm. She clasped her legs tighter around him, her hands curling around his upper arms and hanging on.

She kept calling out his name, asking for more, begging him not to stop. But he wasn’t prepared when she arched against him and tightened, crying out loudly. When he felt the ripples of her orgasm against his cock, it took everything he had to hold himself back, because he just wanted to rip her panties off and sink into her so he could feel it around him.

He pushed her breasts together again so he could run his tongue over both of her nipples at the same time, unable to look away from her as she rode out her orgasm and then collapsed against the bed, quivering underneath him.

Hr grinned, giving each of her nipples one last kiss before he slid up over her and leaned down to give her lips a kiss too. “You came,” he observed, kissing her again as she nodded shyly. He took a deep breath, and then instructed, “Tell me how it felt.”

She smiled, hooking an arm around his neck and kissing him one more time. “It was amazing, Billy,” she assured him. “But I want more.”

“Tell me what you want, Robin.”

He pushed off of her, standing up, his cock achingly hard and only being held back by his jeans. She sat up on her elbows and he noticed that she couldn’t take his eyes off of it. “I want that, Billy,” she confessed. “When I… came…” Her cheeks flushed bright red, but she continued. “It felt good, but I felt… empty.” She bit her lip and finally said, “I want you to fill me, Billy.”

He nodded, immediately pushing his jeans down and stepping out of them. He reached out, grabbing her panties and pulling them down. He wouldn’t rip them, at least not yet. She trembled as he spread her legs to test how wet she still was, pleased to find her glistening. Still, he ran his fingers over her to make sure, sighing as he felt the softness of her skin and the dark curls there.

He slipped back onto the bed on his knees. When he was close enough, she reached down and wrapped a hand around his cock, stroking it experimentally. He groaned and twitched in her hand, more than ready to go.

“You’re big,” she remarked softly.

“How would you know?” he managed to tease, winking at her and making her blush all over again. Then he leaned forward and kissed her, wanting to put her at ease. “If you want to wait, we can. If you want to try, and it’s ever too much for you, I can stop.”

“I don’t want to wait, Billy. I want you to feel as good as you’ve made me feel.”

She let go of him and laid back, keeping her legs spread. He automatically followed, grabbing and guiding himself to her entrance. He shuddered as he slipped just the head inside of her, almost losing it when she relaxed to let him in.

“More, Billy, please,” she begged. “And you can be as hard and as fast as you want.”

He nodded, his eyes heavy, his head swimming in a haze of desire. He was trying so hard to be considerate, but as he pushed in further, he knew that wasn’t going to last. It had been so long, and he loved her, and he needed her.

“Yes, Billy, yes!” she urged him, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him down so she could kiss his neck.

His hands slid to her ass, squeezing it and holding her steady as he started to move. She gasped harshly and he groaned in response. She was so tight and wet around him, and he could feel her stretching to try and accommodate him. He’d never been so aware of someone else’s body before, and it was incredible.

She didn’t tell him to stop, didn’t even tell him to slow down as he slid all the way inside her. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked through gritted teeth.

He had to make sure at least one more time, because he knew it was going to be hard to stop once he really got started.

“Yes, Billy,” she answered, her mouth still on his neck. “Please, I need you to fuck me.”

It was that that really did him in. He’d never messed around with innocent girls before. He’d considered it, but he hadn’t wanted anyone to get attached or make things complicated for him. The girl’s he’d been with had all been just as fucked up as he was, and they all moved on eventually without being told to.

But now this legitimately shy, sweet girl was beneath him, giving herself to him, without any fear or hesitation. And that dirty little request coming out of her pure mouth was too much for him to handle.

He grabbed her thigh and hiked it up over his hip, then really started to move. He groaned in relief as her fingers tightened on him and she moaned against his neck. He slammed into her hard, setting a brisk pace, their hips meeting so hard that he knew they would both be bruised in the morning.

But he didn’t stop. He felt like an animal who’d finally been unleashed. He’d been so focused on the needs of others ever since arriving here that he’d forgotten his own. He pushed into her over and over again, her plump ass bouncing against his thighs, her generous breasts bouncing against his chest.

He was ashamed to admit that he’d never given a bigger girl like her a sideways glance before. As it turned out, he loved her body. In a strange way, though, it made sense to him. Before, he’d only cared about bodies, but it was Robin’s personality that had attracted him first. She was the complete package.

He wanted to last longer for her, but he just wasn’t capable of that right now. “I’m gonna come, Robin,” he grunted, not letting up, her bed rocking with each thrust. “Are you close?”

“I think so,” she moaned. “Oh, God, Billy, I never want you to stop.”

He managed to laugh lightly. “I wish I didn’t have to.” He bent his head and captured her mouth with his. “I’m not wearing a condom,” he reminded her, mumbling the words against her lips.

“I know,” she gasped. “I would have asked you if I’d wanted you to.”

“Do you want me to pull out?” he wondered breathlessly.

Her response was instant. “No.”

His next thrust was the last one. He buried himself deep inside her, surprised once again when she unexpectedly came around him, whimpering and burying her face in his neck as he started to come inside her.

They clung to each other desperately. Billy felt like he came forever, maybe because it had been so long, or maybe because it was her. Finally, she relaxed into the bed and he relaxed on top of her. He brushed his nose over hers, taking deep breaths, feeling her breasts rise and fall against his chest between them.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

She shook her head and kissed him softly, sighing happily against his lips. “No, Billy, not at all. It was wonderful.”

He laughed. “I thought for sure I’d been too rough,” he admitted. “You’re still probably going to be sore later.”

“I don’t mind. I’m glad we were finally able to do this.”

They kissed again and he slowly pulled out of her. He had had condoms break before, but he’d never had sex with no barriers at all. It seemed appropriate with her, though, to take their chances and just see what happened.

“Sorry that it’s a little messy,” he apologized. “Let me get something to clean us up.”

He kissed her one more time and got up, pausing for a moment when he realized he was a bit unsteady on his feet.

“You okay, Billy?” she asked behind him.

When he turned and looked at her, he smiled. She was laying there, completely relaxed, a blissful look on her face. He could see the marks he’d left on her neck and breasts, and the beginnings of the bruises that were going to form on her hips and ass where he’d held onto her too tightly, and on her thighs and hips where their bodies had met while they were… making love.

He kept smiling as he went to her bathroom and found a washcloth, getting it wet with warm water. He’d never made love to anyone before. He was glad to find that he’d loved it.

Maybe he wasn’t quite as broken as he’d thought he was.

He cleaned himself off, then sat back down beside her on the bed. She gazed up at him as he gently wiped her down. “What?” he asked, sensing that she had a question for him.

“Was I… good?” she wondered, blushing.

He chuckled. “You were amazing, Robin.”

“I want to do more,” she told him.

“We will,” he promised. “But for now, you need to rest and see how you feel in the morning, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He finished up with the towel, then went back into the bathroom and threw it in the hamper. After, he crawled back into bed and snuggled up beside her, wrapping her in his arms.

“I love you,” he murmured, kissing her cheek.

“I love you,” she answered, biting her lip. “Does resting mean we can’t make out either?”

He laughed. “We can make out,” he assured her.

“Good.”

He leaned down and gave her a kiss. This one was soft and sweet without even trying. He smiled against her lips as he realized it.

Something entirely different was starting for him now, and he couldn’t be more ready.


	13. Physical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin can’t get enough of each other.

One of Billy’s hands was in Robin’s hair, the other gripping her kitchen counter as she went down on him. She was sore from the previous night, her lips still swollen, but she’d begged to do something more for him.

He’d resisted until she’d confessed that she’d always wanted to try this. The idea of her on her knees in front of him, her hands clutching his hips, her perfect pink lips wrapped around him, had just been too much to handle.

The reality, as it turned out, was even better. His hand was tight in her long, dark hair, holding it in a ponytail so it didn’t obscure his view, but he wasn’t guiding her. Still, she wasn’t being tentative at all. Every time she slid down, she took almost all of him in her mouth, and her loud, eager sucking sounds were quickly driving him to the edge.

“I’m gonna come, Robin,” he gasped, arching his back and rising up onto his toes. “You don’t have to swallow,” he assured her, his voice ragged.

He wanted her to, but he wasn’t going to make her, of course.

He looked down at her, his breath catching in his throat as she gazed up at him. She pulled back as he started to come, stroking the half of his cock that wasn’t in her mouth with her delicate hand, making him moan.

She swallowed everything, swirling her tongue over his head and then slowly gliding it up and down his softening length to clean him off.

“Mmm,” she murmured, glancing up at him, her lips more swollen now. “I liked that,” she admitted, smiling.

He chuckled. “You’re going to spoil me, aren’t you, Robin?”

She giggled. “That’s the plan, Billy.”

****

She leaned against the frame of the garage, admiring Billy as he stood behind the hood of his car. Despite the cold outside, the garage was hot because of the car running and the space heater Billy had set up inside, so his arm was bare and slightly glistening with sweat as it flexed when he finally slammed the hood down and reached into the driver’s side window to shut the car off.

He caught sight of her and his face broke out into a big grin. His curls were messy, and his arms and shirt were streaked with grease in a few places. She bit her lip and walked over to him, plucking at the neckline of his tank top.

At the same time, she ran a hand over the hood of his car. “You know,” she teased, “I’ve fantasized about you taking me on the hood of this car.”

He huffed and immediately stripped his shirt off, shoving some of it in his back pocket so it hung there as he eyed the Camaro. He started to undress her while her hand slid down to palm him through his jeans.

She giggled. “You get hard so fast when I bring up something dirty,” she observed slyly.

He tsked. “Which you know very well,” he pointed out, growling as he finished dropping her clothes on the floor. “Tits on the hood, ass up in the air,” he ordered.

She obeyed eagerly as he hit the button to shut the garage. When he came back, she was bent over the hood of the car, pushed up on the balls of her feet. He didn’t waste any time, smacking her ass and grabbing the long braid she’d put her hair in and tugging on it.

“You wore it this way just so I would manhandle it, didn’t you?” he growled, smacking her ass again.

She moaned and jumped slightly. “Yes, Billy,” she whispered.

Ever since they’d first been together, she’d been encouraging him to push her further every time. She’d discovered that she liked it just as rough as he did, and now she couldn’t get enough. She especially loved it when he pulled her hair and spanked her, so she took every opportunity to ask for it.

She heard him undo his jeans, and then his cock was between her thighs, testing her entrance to make sure she was ready. She always was when it came to him. She wanted him every second of every day.

“You are always so fucking wet for me, Robin,” he groaned. “I love it. I love you.”

“I love you too, Billy.”

She let out a long, loud cry as he pushed all the way inside her in one smooth stroke. He’d only tugged his jeans down enough to free his cock and balls, so the fabric rubbed against her delicate skin as he started to ride her hard from behind.

He had one hand pressed into the small of her back to keep her in place. Her braid was wrapped tightly around the other, pulling her head up until she was arched enough so that she could actually hear her breasts bouncing against the hood of the car every time he thrust.

“Fuck me, I love that sound,” he rasped, riding her harder.

So far, she had never failed to come for him, and he’d recently confessed that he was quite determined to keep up that streak. Not that she minded. Not at all. It boosted his ego in a sweet way when she came for him.

He slowed a little, and she knew he was trying to wait for her. She squirmed against the car, the slightly warm metal brushing against her nipples and her clit with each stroke of his cock.

“Fuck yeah, that’s it,” he grunted, moving his hand from the small of her back to smack her ass again.

That did it for her. “Billy, I’m coming!” she squealed, tightening around him as he pushed all the way in one more time.

He held her in place as they both finished, flipping her over after pulling out. His hand cupped her jaw and she smiled as he said, “I love seeing that blissful look on your face while my come’s dripping out of you.”

She blushed as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I love that you still blush too,” he murmured, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her, throwing her over his shoulder.

She laughed loudly, hanging onto him. He smacked her ass one more time and then started to carry her inside. “Let’s get cleaned up, all right?”

****

After he’d fucked her on the hood of the car, they’d had slower, sweeter sex in the shower. Billy loved that she liked it rough, but his compromise with her was that he wanted to get better at the other side of things too.

He’d quickly learned that the shower was the place to do it. Whenever there was a wall or a headboard or something to give him leverage, she wanted him to just pound her into oblivion, and it was hard to deny her. But in the shower, where it was slippery and there was really no way to do that, she’d admit that it was more practical to be a bit softer.

Plus he could still pick her up and press her against the wall, which she very much liked.

That was where he had her right now. He was rocking in and out of her slowly, her lips pressed to his ear while she begged for more.

He just chuckled and shook his head, kissing her gently. “Soft and slow tonight, Robin,” he murmured. “Soft and slow.”

She whined plaintively, trying to arch her back and wiggle her hips. He held her in place, going even slower in response, and she whined again. “You’re not fair, Billy.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m gonna make you come and it’s gonna be so good, Robin,” he cooed.

And it was. In the end, he drew it out so long that she came three times, every time harder than the last. When he finally let go, he was extremely pleased with himself.

He’d been mindful and gentle the entire time, and even though it wasn’t what she most preferred, she’d still enjoyed it. He considered that a victory.

****

Robin was waiting at the front door when Billy opened it. He grinned and kissed her cheek. “Deliveries ready?” he wondered.

She shook her head and bit her lip. “You’ve got ten minutes to wait,” she informed him, her eyes sparkling.

He smirked, knowing exactly what she wanted. He shut the door and locked it behind him, then lifted her and pressed her against it.

It took less than a minute for him to bunch up her skirt and pull her panties aside and for her to free him from his jeans. Then he was inside her, the door shuddering in its frame with every thrust.

Her ass bounced against his thighs and her tits practically came out of her bra every time he thrust in and pushed her up. “Harder, Billy!” she begged.

This time, he was happy to oblige her. His fingers dug into her hips and ass as he held on, and before long, she was gasping out her orgasm, clenching tightly around him while he roared and spilled inside her.

They both breathed heavily as he kept her pinned against the door, lowering his head to briefly bury it in her cleavage. She stroked her fingers through his curls and they both laughed happily.

He spent the next few minutes cleaning them up and then putting them back together. By the time he was done, she was ready to pack up the rest of his deliveries.

She helped him carry them out to the car. Before he got in, he kissed her deeply, making her cling to him. “I will see you later,” he promised.

“You better,” she murmured, kissing his nose and heading back inside.

She leaned against the front door for a moment, listening until she couldn’t hear his car anymore.

She was hopelessly in love, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.


	14. Pour Some Sugar on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin settle in and start being happy.

Robin skipped across the street. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and Christmas was just around the corner. She had a basket full of gingerbread muffins loaded with cranberries and orange zest and she was looking forward to spending a relaxing weekend with Billy.

She let herself in using the key he’d given her, stopping by the kitchen to drop off the basket. It was still early, so Billy had come back to work out after spending the night with her since Max had slept over at El’s again. The girls had become fast friends and were pretty much together all the time now.

Robin poked her head into the dining room, where Billy’s weights were set up. He had rock music playing on his stereo as he pumped the bar up and down. As she often did when she found him working out or fiddling with his car, Robin leaned in the doorway and admired him.

He was sweating, and all of his slick muscles were visible because of the cut-off crop top he was wearing. He finally noticed her out of the corner of his eye and sat up, breathing heavily. “Hey, you,” he murmured, grabbing the towel hanging over his weight bench and wiping himself off a bit.

“Why do you even wear that shirt?” she wondered. “You look fantastic without it.”

He chuckled. “Do I?” he teased.

She nodded. “Yeah. It makes me want to jump you right now.”

“Well, that sounds like a good way to work out too,” he admitted, standing and coming over to her.

She squealed happily as he lifted her up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “Gotta make my girl happy,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her.

In the bedroom, he sat down on the bed, laughing and laying back as she shimmied down onto her knees. She pulled his shorts off, tossing them aside and taking his stiffening cock in her hand before sliding her mouth down over him.

“Mmm, fuck…” he moaned, bucking his hips a little and reaching down to gather her hair into a ponytail in his hands.

It wasn’t long before she’d sucked him completely hard. As she pulled her mouth off him, he whined a bit in disappointment.

Then she whispered, “Billy, I want to ride you,” and he didn’t mind so much anymore.

“My girl always gets what she wants,” he promised, scooting back on the bed as she stood up and took off her panties. “Take your top and bra off too,” he requested. “If you’re going to ride me, I want to see your tits bounce.”

She giggled and pulled off her sweater. As she did, Billy leaned up and unclasped her bra, squeezing her breasts and briefly kissing each nipple, then pulling her on top of him as he leaned back again.

He reached between them, holding his cock steady as she mounted him. “All for you,” he told her, his head tipping back in ecstasy as she slid all the way down on him.

“Oohh…” she whimpered, moving her hips experimentally. Billy’s hands moved up to grip them for her, helping her find a rhythm. So far, that had always been his job. “I love you big you are, Billy,” she whispered, following the guidance of his hands and starting to move more smoothly.

“Now you’re just stroking my ego,” he teased.

“You know I’m not,” she teased back.

Talking ceased as they writhed and squirmed together on the bed, his hands clutching her hips under her skirt, her hands gripping his crop top. It wasn’t long before she was crying out and clenching around him. He dug his heels into the bed and pushed up into her, holding her down on him until they’d both finished.

As he collapsed back onto his pillows, she slumped, resting on top of him, snuggling her head up underneath his chin. “I love you, Billy,” she murmured, drawing a heart on his chest with her finger.

He grabbed her hand and kissed that finger afterward. “I love you too,” he answered, his voice thoughtful.

“What is it?” she asked, closing her eyes, warm and relaxed against his body.

“I’m happy, Robin,” he confessed, his voice barely a whisper, like he was afraid speaking the thought would ruin it.

She squeezed him gently. “I’m happy too, Billy. And I’m glad you’re happy.”

“I want to be happy forever,” he confessed. “But I’m scared that something will happen so that we can’t be.”

She laced their fingers together. “Whatever happens, Billy, if we face it together, we’ll be okay.”

“You really believe that?”

She nodded, opening her eyes and glancing up at him. “I do. I have to, really. I have to believe that if you feel deeply enough, and try hard enough, that everything can turn out all right.”

He nodded back. “Okay. Then I’ll believe that with you. And when I don’t feel strong enough to believe it, I’ll let you believe it for me.”

“I can do that, Billy.”

He kissed her forehead and she smiled. She felt safe and loved for the first time ever since she’d been left alone, and she wasn’t going to give that up for anything.


	15. The Way You Make Me Feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil finally makes an appearance.

Billy buttoned his shirt, swiping at a few of his curls to try to get them to stay in place. He was finally taking Robin out tonight. He raised an eyebrow at himself in the mirror and promised himself that was the way it was going to go. Every other time he’d tried to take her out since the night he’d told her he loved her, they’d ended up in one of their beds instead.

It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy it. But he did want to take her out and show her off a little. It was a small town, so everyone knew she was dating him, but he kind of wanted to prove it. Not because anybody else was after her, at least as far as he knew, but because part of him still didn’t believe he’d gotten so lucky. No matter what she said, he didn’t deserve her, and he knew it.

Billy heard the door open and tilted his head curiously. “Max? Is that you? Did you forget something?”

She was spending the night at El’s again, and he’d thought she’d packed everything she needed, but he couldn’t be sure.

When there was no answer, he reconsidered. “Robin? Is that you?”

If she’d gone into the kitchen to put something away, she wouldn’t be able to hear him that well, probably.

He finished and headed that way, poking his head into the living room briefly just to check.

When he saw who was there, his blood ran cold.

“Neil,” he murmured.

He wanted to rush him, to attack him, but he was frozen in place. When Neil finally strode toward him, he instinctively backed up until he hit the wall.

His father was a little shorter than him, so Billy kept his chin up. But inside, he was reduced to the same quivering little boy he’d been when Neil had first started beating him.

“Told you I knew where you were, faggot,” he sneered, glancing over his shoulder. “I heard you’re with the piece across the street. Still pretending you want to fuck girls, I see?”

Billy licked his lips, clenching his fists. “What did you do to her?” he whispered.

He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, trying not to cry. He wouldn’t give Neil the satisfaction, even though his heart would break if he’d hurt Robin.

“Haven’t been to visit her yet,” he revealed. “I will after I’ve dealt with you. Show her what being with a real man is like.”

Billy swallowed. “She won’t want you.”

Neil laughed. “Doesn’t matter. She’ll take it whether she wants it or not.”

Billy finally got the courage to move, pressing forward. Neil put a hand on his chest and pushed him roughly back into the wall, then slapped him hard across the face. Billy winced and his lip trembled. He didn’t want to cry in front of Neil, but he didn’t know if he was going to have a choice.

“I’m going to kill you,” Neil hissed. “We talked about respect, boy, and you used up your last chance when you ran.” He chuckled under his breath. “While your body cools, I’m going to go across the street, fuck your whore, and kill her too. Then I’m going to take my daughter back and get the hell out of here.”

“Max will never let you get away with that,” Billy argued weakly. “She likes her.”

“If she doesn’t get in line, she’ll die too. Someone has to pay for her mother leaving me.”

Billy’s stomach churned and he swallowed again as he heard the very slight creak as the door opened. Neil didn’t seem to hear. He was too lost in his anger.

Then Robin rounded the corner. Her face was set in a tight line and Billy’s eyes widened when he saw that she had a shotgun held out in front of her.

“Get away from him,” she ordered, her voice determined and not shaky at all. “Or I’ll blow your fucking head off.”

“Spitfire,” Neil drawled, turning his head to look at her. “That will make it more fun when I get to you.”

“Not going to happen,” she insisted, pushing closer. “Out. Now. I called the cops. I sent them to Max too, so don’t even think about going after her.”

Neil remained still for a moment. Billy knew he was trying to decide whether she was serious or not.

“This isn’t over,” he told her sternly. “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be waiting for you,” she promised.

He moved around her and out the door quickly. She followed him, locking the door once he was gone. Billy pushed off the wall and went after her.

As soon as she’d thrown the deadbolt, she started to shake. The shotgun fell from her hand and Billy flinched briefly.

“It’s not loaded,” she managed to choke out.

Then he ran forward to catch her as her knees gave out, letting her bury her face in his chest as she began sobbing.

“It’s okay, Robin. It’s okay. It’s okay,” he soothed her, rocking her back and forth. “He’s gone. He’s gone.” He took a deep breath as he began crying himself. “Did you really call the cops?”

The sound of sirens answered his question. “I called Hopper,” she admitted. “I told him so he’d keep Max safe. He said he’ll handle it so you don’t lose her.”

“You did the right thing,” he assured her.

For the next few moments, he just held her tightly while they both cried. Then there was a knock on the door and he heard Hopper call out, “Billy? Robin? You in there?”

Billy stood, hooking his arm under Robin’s knees and picking her up as he went to let Hopper in. Hopper’s eyes went wide when he saw them. “Is she hurt? I can call an ambulance.”

Billy shook his head, sniffling so he could talk. “No, she’s all right. Just scared. Did you leave the girls alone?”

Hopper shook his head. “They’re in the car. I’ve got two guys watching them while the rest check the area for Neil. Can we sit down in the living room so you can tell me what happened? I didn’t actually get much of what Robin said over the phone.”

Billy nodded and started to carry Robin to the living room. Hopper turned and waved the girls in before he moved to join them, taking off his hat before he sat down in the chair across from the couch.

Max ran in with El on her heels, immediately going over to the couch. “Are you okay?” she asked, throwing her arms around Billy and Robin without hesitation.

“Yeah, we’re okay, kid. I’m glad you are too,” Billy replied, moving one arm so he could put it around her. Robin reached for her too, squeezing her tight.

“Tell me about this guy,” Hopper requested softly. “I got from Robin that he’s your dad, Max’s stepdad, and that you both ran from him because he’s dangerous. You didn’t report it because you were afraid that he’d be able to legally take her back, right?”

“Yeah.”

Billy nodded, taking a deep breath before he started to explain the situation. Robin slid her fingers up the nape of his neck and into his hair, trying to comfort him.

Hopper listened, writing down a few details on a notepad as he did. Max’s eyes widened and she went a little pale when Billy recounted what Neil had said to him just a short time ago, and Robin pulled her a little closer. Billy tightened his arms around both of them.

When Billy finished, Hopper nodded. “And just so I can say I heard it from your mouth, kid, do you want to go back with Neil?”

Max shook her head violently. “No. No way. I like it here, with Billy and Robin and all of you.”

“Then that’s the way it’s going to stay,” he promised. He set the shotgun Robin had brought over between them all on the coffee table. “You got any shells for this?” he asked.

She shook her head. “My dad never leaves ammunition when he’s gone,” she explained softly.

Billy kissed her temple. He knew it was hard for her to talk about her father.

Hopper sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I know he’s gone for good, Robin,” he revealed.

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes filled with tears again. “You do?” she wondered, her voice quivering.

He nodded. “Yeah.” He shrugged. “I’m a cop. I noticed. I’ve been keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re okay.”

Her tears started to fall down her cheeks. “Does everyone know?”

“Pretty much. It’s been over a year now. Hard not to notice in a small town. And remember, I worked in the city before this. I’ve seen a lot.”

“Is that why everyone’s been using my business?”

Her voice broke at the end of the question, and Billy didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t hold her any tighter. He just wanted to be able to make her pain go away.

Hopper shook his head. “No, no, not at all. Not at all, okay? Your food is great, Robin. Everyone knows that. They’re all just worried about you. You could have said something.”

She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “I didn’t want anyone to know that he didn’t want me anymore,” she admitted.

Billy sat up straighter and pulled her head down to his chest, letting her cry against him. “Stop asking her about this,” he begged. “Please. You’re hurting her. She’s been hurt enough.”

Apparently, Hopper agreed. “I’ll see if I can find you some shells, all right?”

She shook her head. “Take the gun,” she offered. “I hate guns. I just didn’t know what to do with it when my dad left it behind.”

“Will do,” Hopper agreed. “Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to tell the guys out there that Neil is just after you, all right? No explanation necessary. I’m going to have him watch both of your houses tonight. You can come home with me and the girls. You’re welcome to the couch. It might not be the most comfortable place to crash, but you’ll be safe.”

“Thank you, sir,” Billy murmured.

“Call me Jim, son.” He gestured at Max and El. “These two are attached at the hip, so we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other. And I watched her grow up.” He smiled fondly, pointing at Robin with his hat as he put it back on. “If either of you ever need someone to talk to, I’m around, all right?”

Billy nodded. Robin had stopped crying, finally. He nuzzled the side of her face. “You okay, Robin?” he asked.

“No,” she admitted.

“Stupid question,” he apologized. “I’m sorry. You ready to go, at least?”

“Please. I’m sorry, Billy.”

“For what?”

She sniffled. “Being upset.”

“Don’t apologize for that, Robin. Please. You saved my life tonight. If you hadn’t come in when you did…”

She shook her head and clung to him, pressing her face against his neck. “Don’t say it, Billy. I can’t even think it. Let’s just go. Please. I want to be away from here for a while.”

“Is there anything to take care of at your place?” he wondered.

“No. It’s all locked up for the night.”

“Do you want to get anything from there?”

“No.”

“Okay. Let me throw a few things in a bag for us and we’ll get out of here, all right?”

He kissed her briefly, then got up. She immediately pulled Max into her arms and sat with her on the couch. They were still sitting there together when he returned.

Max rejoined El while Billy picked Robin back up, cradling her in his arms as they all walked out to Hopper’s truck. He sat with her and Max in the backseat while El took the front.

At Hopper’s cabin, the girls retreated to El’s room and Hopper went to his after telling them to let him know if they needed anything. Billy got Robin out of her dress and into one of his sweatshirts. It was way too big on her, but he thought it was cute, and he could tell she liked it.

He changed into sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, then stretched out on the couch with her, holding her close and throwing a blanket over them.

She took a deep breath as he played with her hair. “It’s okay, Robin. You’re safe now.”

She nodded. “I know, Billy. I’m always safe when I’m with you.”

He squeezed her tight. “I want to keep you safe,” he confessed, licking his lips. “I don’t like being away from you, Robin.”

“Me either, Billy.”

He smiled. “Maybe we should move in together,” he suggested softly.

She tipped her head up to look at him, and her radiant smile filled him with warmth. “Really, Billy?”

“Really. I want you for the rest of my life, Robin. I’d love to live with you.”

“I’d love to live with you too,” she answered.

“Then we’ll figure out the details in the morning. For now, let’s get some sleep, okay?”

She nodded her agreement, tucking her head under his chin and resting her hand over his heart.

“Billy?” she spoke up after a moment of silence.

“Yes, Robin?”

He had one arm around her shoulders. With his other hand, he was twirling a lock of her hair, bringing it up to his nose so he could breathe in her scent.

“Do you think he’ll come back?”

Billy sighed. “He might. I don’t know. I hope that the threat of the cops scared him away. But he’s… persistent.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you,” she whispered. “Or Max.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you,” Billy added. “Any of us. But if it’s going to be anyone…”

He trailed off as she shifted over him so their lips were touching. “You can’t do that, Billy. You can’t sacrifice yourself for us.”

He kissed her gently. “If that’s the only way, I will.”

She shook her head. “No,” she repeated. “We’ll fight, but we’ll do it together. We did it together today. We can do it again.” When he didn’t answer, she kissed him again. “Promise me, Billy,” she begged desperately.

He didn’t want to deny her, but he also didn’t want to lie. And he knew that if it did come down to him being the only thing standing between Robin and Max and Neil, he was ready now. He was ready to step up and protect them the way he should have protected Robin today.

“I can’t promise, Robin,” he finally whispered. “I just can’t. If I’m the only thing standing between you and Max and him… I’m ready now. I won’t freeze like I did tonight.”

She stared down at him, her eyes full of worry. “I can’t lose you, Billy,” she finally said. “I can’t be alone again.”

“I will do everything in my power not to leave you alone, Robin. I swear.”

“And I’ll do anything I can to keep you with me, Billy. I swear.”

It would have to be good enough for now. Hopefully, Neil wouldn’t come back. Billy couldn’t guarantee that, but he could guarantee that he would stand and protect the people he loved.

A few months ago, he didn’t think he’d ever love anyone. But he loved his girlfriend, and he loved his sister. Even if there was never anyone else after them, his heart was full. And he intended on making sure it stayed that way.


	16. Every Breath You Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious note disturbs the comfort of Billy and Robin’s new combined home.

Robin was carefully folding and putting away Billy’s clothes when the front door opened and shut. “It’s just me!” he called, putting her at ease. “This is the last of it.”

He came into the bedroom and smiled when he saw her putting away his things. “I can put away my clothes, Robin,” he chided her, kissing her cheek affectionately as he set the rest of them down.

“I want to help,” she protested. “I want this to feel like your home, Billy.”

“You’re my home, Robin. Wherever you are is where I’m happy.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him giddily. “I’m going to start dinner, okay?”

“I’ll finish putting everything away.” He caught her around the waist and kissed her again when she went to pull away. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She was blushing as she headed back to the kitchen and opened the fridge. But she was distracted about what to make by her happiness at finally living with Billy. They’d actually been living together for about a week, ever since she’d driven Neil away. Billy had already paid for the month’s rent on his house, so he’d decided to just move his and Max’s stuff over slowly and get the place squared away, rather than trying to cancel abruptly. But now everything had been moved over here, and as of next month, he and Max would officially be living with her. There was really just a little cleaning up left to do, and she was going to do most of that while he was at work.

She refocused on the fridge. Now that Christmas and New Year’s had passed, she was craving something lighter, and she knew they all needed it. She had all of the vegetables for pasta primavera, so she got them out, washed them, and started chopping.

Billy came in not long after. He kissed her cheek. “What can I do?” he asked.

He’d gotten better at taking direction in the kitchen, so she quickly gave him instructions. He obeyed, grabbing a pot and filling it with water to cook the pasta. He glanced up at her as he worked.

“Yes?” she wondered teasingly. “What are you thinking, Billy?”

He flushed and chuckled. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

She shook her head and grinned. “Spit it out, Hargrove.”

He bit his lip and shrugged. “I just want to make sure you’re still okay with living here. I know the house is paid off, which is great, but you lived here with your dad for a long time, and I don’t want you to have to live with those memories if you don’t want to.”

“Billy, I am going to have far more good memories in this house than bad ones. I already do. Yes, my father abandoned me here. But I started my own business here too. I’ve had so many good moments with my friends in this town. And…”

She walked around the counter, hooking her finger into his tank top and tugging on it playfully. “This is where you nailed me for the first time, remember?”

He burst out laughing, then picked her up and spun her around. She giggled, wrapping her arms around him as they kissed.

“Okay,” he relented. “As long as you’re sure.”

“I’m sure, Billy. We might have to move eventually, but for now, it’s perfect.”

“Why would we have to move eventually?” he asked slyly, grinning at her.

She bit her lip. “Well, I’d like a bigger kitchen to work out of…” She paused and then blurted out what she was thinking. “And if we have kids, we’ll need more room.”

She glanced at him shyly, blushing. It was something they hadn’t really talked about explicitly. They hadn’t even actually talked about marriage yet. But Billy had said he wanted forever, and to her that meant marriage and kids. They hadn’t been using protection when they slept together either, so she felt it was safe to assume that he wanted those things too.

“When,” he promised, kissing her as he set her down gently on the floor. “When we have kids.”

“Really, Billy?” she whispered.

“Of course, Robin,” he assured her. “I want everything with you. One day you’re going to walk down the aisle toward me in a white dress, and one day we are going to have some adorable babies that look just like their momma.”

“I don’t know,” she disagreed, her arms still around him. “I keep picturing a little one with their daddy’s eyes and hair.” She poked him in the chest and added, “And if you want to do those two things in that order, you might want to hurry up.”

Billy chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he teased, kissing her cheek. “Now move, woman. I have to check my pasta.”

She giggled again, then went back to chopping vegetables. The front door opened and shut and they both paused, just like she had earlier.

“It’s me!” Max hollered a second later, appearing in the kitchen. “I got the mail.”

She set it on the counter and went to the fridge. “Is it okay if I have a snack?” she asked.

“There’s fruit salad in the fridge,” Billy told her. “But don’t eat too much. It won’t take long to make dinner, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks!”

Max headed off to her room while Robin smiled fondly at Billy. She dumped all the vegetables into her pan to start cooking, grabbing the mail and moving to stand beside him.

“What?” he asked, smiling back at her.

“You’re going to be a fantastic dad, Billy.”

She returned to the counter, flipping through the mail, stopping when she saw a light purple envelope with her name inscribed on it in lovely calligraphy.

“No address?” Billy wondered.

She shrugged. “A lot of people in town deliver invitations or leave notes by hand, especially if they’re driving around anyway. It saves on postage.”

She slipped it open and started to skim it. As soon as she’d read the first line, she gasped and dropped the letter on the counter as if it had burned her.

Billy put an arm around her, looking at her worriedly as he picked up the letter. “What is it, Robin?”

“Read it, Billy,” she murmured, clinging to him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.

He flipped the paper open and quietly read it out loud.

“My dearest Robin,” he began, his voice low, “It is such a pleasure to watch you from afar. Soon I hope we will have some time together face-to-face. For now, I must warn you that Billy Hargrove does not deserve you. He is a monstrous boy with a very troubled past. I’m the man you need, not him. Sincerely, M. F.”

“Who’s M. F.?” Robin asked, still clinging tightly to Billy, her voice small and scared.

“Probably Neil,” Billy growled. “He’s a motherfucker, so those are his initials.”

Robin couldn’t help laughing a little at that, but she quickly sobered again as she thought about the implications of the note.

Billy kissed her temple. “Finish dinner. I’m going to call Jim.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

She listened as Billy made the call, only able to hear his end. “Jim, it’s Billy. Robin and I have a problem. We just got a threatening note in the mail, and we think it’s from Neil.” He listened to whatever Hopper was saying and nodded. “That’d be great. Thank you. We’ll see you soon.”

He came over to her, squeezing her reassuringly. “He’s on his way over. We’re going to talk and then he’ll take Max for the night, just in case. He’s going to have someone watch the house tonight if he can.”

“Okay. Do you want to set the table? He could have dinner with us. El too, if she’s with him.”

“Yeah, he’s picking her up on the way. Let me tell Max to pack and then I’ll take care of that, okay?”

“Thank you, Billy.”

He headed into the hallway while Robin finished dinner. She made a salad while everything finished cooking, then put the pasta in a serving dish and sliced the other half of a loaf of French bread she’d baked yesterday. She put all of those items on the table as Billy set out plates and cups and everything else.

When they were finished, he came over to her, hugging her tightly and kissing her forehead. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Robin.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, Billy,” she confessed.

She hadn’t forgotten what he’d said. If Neil came back for any of them, Billy would put himself in harm’s way to make sure she and Max were safe, and she didn’t want it to come to that.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “I’ve got it!” Max called.

A moment later, they heard Hopper say, “Hey, kid. How you doing?”

They all came into the dining room. Hopper raised his eyebrows as Robin gave him a small smile and gestured to the table. “Please sit down. The least we can do is feed you.”

“I appreciate it,” Hopper said, sitting down, setting his hat on the table beside him.

Robin started to pass everything around as Billy came back and handed Hopper the note. Hopper read it quickly, then set it down again so he could make his plate.

“And you think this is Neil?” he asked Billy.

Billy nodded. “Who else could it be? It says the exact same things in the note that he said to me. That I don’t deserve Robin. That she needs a real man like him.”

“Why would he sign it M. F., though?” Hopper wondered, taking a bite of pasta. “Damn, this is good,” he mumbled.

Robin smiled as Max rolled her eyes. “It probably stands for motherfucker. Those are his initials.”

Billy snorted and Robin laughed along with Hopper and El. “That’s what Billy said earlier,” she told Max.

“Well, that tells you everything you need to know, then,” she confirmed, grinning at her brother.

“You don’t know anyone else with the initials M. F., do you, Robin?” Hopper asked.

Robin shook her head. “No, no one comes to mind. I mean, I’m sure there are a few people in town with those initials, but I’ve never had problems with anyone here.”

Hopper nodded. “No one with those initials has crossed our path down at the station, at least not that I can remember.”

“Besides,” Billy added, “what are the odds that someone unrelated to all of this would suddenly pop up to bother her? It doesn’t make any sense. It’s Neil fucking with our heads. Laying low until he can find the perfect moment to try and ruin our lives again.”

“I’m inclined to agree at the moment,” Hopper said through a mouthful of food. He swallowed and wiped his mouth on his napkin. “Sorry. It’s too good not to eat. I’ll leave a car on the house tonight, and we’ll keep looking for him in the area, especially since the note was obviously delivered by hand. I don’t have the manpower to have someone watch you all the time, unfortunately, but I’ll do everything I can, okay?”

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Robin told him.

“And Max will stay with us tonight, just to be safe. She’s welcome anytime.”

“If you’re feeding her that often, I’ll send dinner with her whenever I can,” Robin promised.

Hopper pointed at Max. “Then it’s official, kid. You’re living with us from now on.”

They all laughed and continued to enjoy their dinner. After, Robin packed up the leftovers and gave them to Hopper. She and Billy both hugged Max, waiting on the doorstep until he had pulled away, leaving another police car stationed in front of the house.

Billy locked up while Robin cleaned the kitchen. After, as they got ready for bed, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “It’s not exactly how you pictured our first week living together, I’m sure.”

“It’s not your fault, Billy,” she murmured, turning in his arms.

“I know. But you also know I want to protect you.”

She nuzzled his neck. “You are protecting me, Billy. I feel safe when I’m with you.”

“Good,” he whispered. “I’m glad.” He kissed her hairline, then asked, “What do you want right now, Robin?”

She smiled against his skin and then looked up at him. “I want you to make love to me, Billy,” she confessed.

He smiled back. “That I can do,” he promised.

He leaned down and kissed her, lifting her up into his arms before settling them both into her bed. Their bed. As he wrapped them up in the warm blankets, his hands finding their way under her clothes, he realized that, in spite of everything, he felt peaceful.

It wasn’t a feeling he was used to at all. He knew that Neil was still hanging over their heads, but maybe he didn’t have to be what defined their life together. Maybe he was just a blip on the radar, a moment they were meant to survive.

If they did, maybe they could just be happy.


	17. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another mysterious note disturbs Robin.

Robin was still sleeping the next morning when Billy woke up. She was vaguely aware of his weight shifting out of the bed, and of his lips pressing against her forehead gently.

It seemed like a long time later when she felt his lips there again, but she knew it couldn’t be. It was just her state of being between asleep and awake.

The sun was warm against her skin when she finally sat up, yawning and stretching. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a note on the nightstand. She reached over and picked it up.

As she blinked the sleep out of her eyes and unfolded the note, a cold pit formed in her stomach. She’d thought it was from Billy, of course, but now she was noticing that the purple stationery matched the letter from yesterday.

She took a deep, shaky breath as she recognized the handwriting too.

_My dearest Robin,_

_Did you enjoy my kiss this morning? Just like Billy’s, but better. I wanted you to see that nothing he does can protect you. I will always get in._

_Sincerely,_   
_M. F._

She resisted the urge to crumple up the note because she knew that the police would need it. But she did leap out of bed and run to the bathroom to scrub her forehead clean with soap.

She leaned over the sink for a moment, breathing hard. The idea of Neil being in her house while she was asleep, of his lips being on her skin, turned her stomach.

After a moment, she was thinking more clearly. She had to get out of the house, check on Billy and Max, and let Hopper know what had happened.

She threw on a pair of jeans, one of Billy’s shirts, and her sneakers, then called a cab. She folded the note and put it in her purse, then went outside to wait, grabbing Billy’s leather jacket first.

Even though it was January, there wasn’t any snow on the ground, just frost. And since there was no wind, it was actually quite pleasant. Still, she hugged herself tightly as she waited for the cab to arrive.

She wasn’t cold, but she was scared. She felt that if Neil was going to do something, it would be soon. He couldn’t play these games with them forever, not without getting caught.

The cab arrived and she got in, smiling at the driver. Thankfully, he decided to remain silent and not engage her in small talk. She wasn’t sure she could have handled that right now.

It was a short drive to the garage where Billy worked. Robin paid the driver and got out, looking around for him. She couldn’t help stopping and smiling as she saw him in his overalls. He had a smudge of grease on his cheek, and his hair was blowing gently around his face in the breeze.

When he saw her, his brow furrowed. He immediately stopped what he was doing and came over to her.

“Robin, what’s wrong?”

She pulled the note out of her purse. “He was in the house, Billy. He…” She stopped as her voice choked up. “He kissed my forehead.”

He took the note and read it, his fist clenching at his side as he finished. “Bastard,” he muttered around his breath. “Have you told Jim yet?”

She shook her head. “No. I just got out of there. I wanted to warn you and call the school to check on Max.”

“Let’s go to the office and do that right now, okay? Then we’ll call Jim.”

Robin stood tucked into Billy’s side while he called the school. Max was there and she was all right. He talked to her and told her to stay with El and not go home at the end of the day. Then he called Hopper, telling him everything that had happened and letting him know about Max.

He hung up and turned to her, kissing her forehead and squeezing her waist. “All right. You heard that Max is all set. Hopper’s sending a car to the school, and it will escort the girls back to his place and watch them until he gets home. He said that you need to stay here with me. He’s going to send the car that left the house before I did this morning back to check for anything. We’ll meet up with him after work and figure out what to do next.”

“Okay, Billy.”

She wasn’t going to fight about any of that. She’d feel much safer being with him all day.

“Let me talk to Joe and let him know you’re staying. I’m sure it’s okay if you sit in the office.” He turned to go, then hesitated, turning back and taking her face between his hands, kissing her. “Everything’s going to be okay, Robin. I’m so sorry this is happening.”

She clung to him briefly. “It’s not your fault, Billy. You know it’s not. You aren’t responsible for what Neil does.”

“I just wish I could stop it,” he whispered.

“No heroics, Billy,” Robin begged. “Please. I can’t lose you. I love you.”

“I love you too. Always,” he promised.

He pressed his forehead against hers briefly, then turned and went, leaving her alone. She curled up in a chair in the office, taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself down.

She hoped that this would all be over soon. As optimistic as she was being, she didn’t know how much more she could take.


	18. Tainted Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil makes his final move.

Robin stayed in the office all day. Max called when she and El got back to Hopper’s, letting her know she was all right. Robin promised that they’d see her later. She was just hanging up when Billy came in. He squatted down in front of her, grabbed her hand, and kissed it.

She smiled, sitting up and running her hand through his hair as she kissed his forehead comfortingly. “How are you?” she asked.

She knew that the whole situation was wearing on him. She was worried about that more than she was worried about herself. She wished she could do something for him.

“Tired,” he admitted. “But I’ll be all right. We have to go pick up a tow. They need two of us, or I’d be out of here. Joe is staying, though, so you won’t be alone. When I get back, we’ll go see Jim and figure out what to do.”

“Okay, Billy.” She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He stood and left quickly. She knew it was just because he was eager to be done with the day and deal with the most important thing. Finding Neil and making sure he couldn’t bother them ever again.

She stood and stretched, jumping slightly when she heard the sound of metal clanging deep in the garage. She peeked her head out and peered into the dimly lit recesses at the back of the building.

“Joe?” she called. “Joe, are you okay?”

When there was no answer, her brow furrowed. Joe was planning to retire as soon as he could because he had a bad heart. She hoped he hadn’t collapsed back there.

“Joe, I’m coming to check on you,” she called. “If you need help, just hang on.”

She ran to the back of the garage, panicking briefly when she saw Joe sprawled out on the floor. She knelt down beside him, checking for his pulse and his heartbeat. Both were steady, but he was out cold.

“Joe,” she murmured, “what happened to you?”

“Drugs in his evening coffee. He’ll be fine,” a voice said behind her. “You, though, Robin? Not so much.”

“Neil,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

There was a large wrench beside Joe. It had probably made the metallic clang when he’d fainted. She reached out and grabbed it, her heart pounding as she hoped Neil wouldn’t see.

She stood and turned, bringing the wrench up, intending to bring it back down on his head. But before she could, he grabbed her hand and twisted her wrist painfully, making her cry out and drop it. It clanged against the floor again, thankfully missing Joe.

“Not this time, you little whore,” he sneered. “You should have blown my head off when you had the chance.”

There was a flash of silver. Robin reared back and pulled as hard as she could, trying to get away.

Neil had a knife. He wanted to kill her. And she couldn’t get away.

She actually heard the knife slide into flesh. She gasped in shock as Neil looked at her oddly.

His knife fell to the floor, clattering away harmlessly as he slid to the side until he slowly hit the concrete. There was a large blossom of blood on the back of his shirt.

Robin looked up. There was a stranger standing in front of her now. Her mouth moved, trying to come up with something appropriate to say to thank him. He’d saved her life, after all.

But as he leaned down and casually wiped the knife he was holding on Neil’s shirt, she realized that he wasn’t a stranger at all.

For a moment, she was distracted by the large pool of blood spreading under Neil’s body. She knew enough to know that he wasn’t going to survive blood loss like that, even if they called an ambulance now.

He was dead. He was gone. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. Her or Billy or Max.

A voice cut through her thoughts. It was warm and soft, but the words it said turned her heart to ice.

“My dearest Robin,” it drawled. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”

She swallowed, trying to will her head to stop spinning. She managed to dredge the man’s name up out of her memories after a moment.

“Matt Freeland,” she murmured, glancing up at him. “You’re M. F.”

He smiled at her. “Oh, Robin. You remember me.”

She nodded slowly. “Of course I do. You interviewed me for the paper. About my business. Back when I first started it.”

“I did,” he confirmed. “I’ve been watching you ever since that day.”

She licked her lips. “You have?”

He nodded. “I was waiting for the perfect moment to approach you. I was so close too. You’d been lonely for some time. You would have been so receptive if I’d just gotten to you first.”

“First?” she wondered.

“Before… Billy Hargrove.” He said his name with complete disdain, like it tasted bad in his mouth. “He swooped in and took what was mine.”

“I’m not yours.”

The words were out of her mouth before she could think to suppress them. In the back of her mind, she realized that she was in a precarious situation.

Neil had been a blunt object barreling towards a goal. He wanted people to fear him. He’d thought he was clever, but he’d been clumsy at best.

But Matt? Matt had been watching her and she hadn’t even known. He was clearly a master manipulator, and that meant he was more dangerous than Neil had ever been.

“Oh, but you are, my dearest Robin,” he disagreed. “You just don’t know it yet.”

He sighed, reaching forward and curling his hand around her upper arm, tugging her back towards the office. “Billy’s just confused you, Robin,” he continued as they walked. “You think he’s good for you, but he’s not. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Before she could reply, he kept going. “You just don’t know the truth about him, Robin. He’s a womanizer. He smokes and drinks and gets into fights. That’s not the kind of man you need. You need someone smart who can provide for you. Someone who respects you and appreciates you.”

He sighed. “I thought that letting Neil know where his children were would get Billy out of the picture. Instead, it just pushed you closer together. I’d hoped that it might still work, but when he came after you, I couldn’t risk it, of course.”

She stopped, planting her feet, actively resisting his pull now. “You called Neil and told him about Billy and Max?” she asked.

“Of course. I’m a journalist. It was easy enough to find information about him. Once I realized what he’d done, it was simple to find Neil and direct him to exactly what he was looking for.”

“He would have killed them,” she hissed.

“A small price to pay to save you,” he admitted. “Come, my dearest Robin.”

“No,” she said firmly. Any thought of trying to string him along by agreeing with him had left her mind as soon as he’d admitted to putting Billy and Max in danger. Now she was angry. “I’m not going to play your game. I didn’t want to play Neil’s, but I actually had a reason. You, what, idolize me? You think of us as in some kind of sick, twisted relationship?”

His eyes narrowed as she pushed on. “Be careful, Robin. You can be rehabilitated, but you don’t want to make it hard for me. I will hurt you if I have to.”

“It’s too late,” she taunted him. “I’m Billy’s. I’ve already decided. He’s been inside me,” she scrambled, trying for anything that might upset him, give her some kind of opening to run or fight. “I’m ruined for you.”

“While that is disappointing,” he admitted, “it will be all right. You’ll be sorry after I’ve broken you of your attraction to him, and then you’ll give yourself to me entirely.”

He yanked harder on her arm, making her stumble, forcing her to follow him again. They were back at the office now. She watched, alarmed as he set another purple envelope on the desk with Billy’s name on it.

“What does that say?” she asked, unable to keep the fear out of her voice.

“It contains instructions,” he answered. “Billy’s a possessive man, just like his father. He thinks he owns you, and he’s convinced you that he does too. He’ll want you back, if only for principle. He’s going to walk right into my trap.”

“You’ll never get me out of here without a fight,” she threatened. She hadn’t had anything to eat or drink all day, so there was no way he’d drugged her. “I’ll yell, I’ll scream. We’ll never get to where we’re going.”

“I know you would, my dearest Robin. You’re so confused right now. That’s why I need to apologize for what I’m going to do next.”

She opened her mouth to scream, but he covered it with something that smelled vile. Her vision swam and then went black as she unwillingly slumped back in his arms.


	19. When Doves Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy goes to rescue Robin.

Billy waved at his coworker as he took off. They’d brought the tow here and unhooked it in the back where he’d parked, so he was on his way home. Billy just needed to stop by the office and get Robin and then they could figure out what they were going to do to hopefully get a few steps ahead of Neil.

As he came in through the back, he caught the scent of iron. It was strong and fresh. He paused, glancing around. When he saw two bodies lying on the floor, he immediately realized what the scent actually was.

Blood.

He ran, dropping to his knees beside the two people on the floor. He relaxed slightly as he realized both of them were men. Robin wasn’t here.

His eyes widened as he saw that one of the bodies was Neil. And body was definitely the right word. He was dead. Very, very dead.

The other was Joe. Billy checked him over, making sure he was all right. Thankfully, he was just unconscious.

He wondered what had happened here. Had Neil startled Joe? Had Joe fought back? But Joe didn’t seem to have any signs of a fight on him. If he’d been knocked out that way, there would be some kind of evidence.

His next thought was that Robin had gotten the drop on Neil somehow. But then why wasn’t she here? Why hadn’t she called an ambulance?

He stood and ran for the office, not caring that his knees were now covered in Neil’s blood. He threw open the door and looked around, his heart dropping into his stomach when he saw the purple envelope propped up on the desk.

He ripped it open and read it.

_Billy,_

_I killed Neil. You’re welcome. I’d hoped he’d kill you, but when he became a threat to Robin, I could no longer let him run wild._

_I have her at the Brimborn Steelworks. If you want her to stay alive, you’ll come alone. No police._

_I look forward to finally meeting you._

_Sincerely,_  
_M. F._  


Billy’s eyes were wide with panic. He’d been so certain that M. F. was Neil. But they were clearly someone else, and he had no idea who.

He had to do what the note said. He wasn’t risking Robin’s life.

He grabbed the phone and called Max. When she heard his voice, she started to panic too. “Billy? What’s wrong?”

“Listen carefully, Max. Neil is dead, but he wasn’t M. F. M. F. is somebody else, and they have Robin. They want me to come to the Brimborn Steelworks alone. No cops. I’m going. I have to save her.”

“What should I do?” Max asked, starting to cry.

“Tell Jim everything when he gets home, all right? Especially the no cops part. I can’t risk Robin being hurt. And make sure to tell him Joe is here unconscious. I think he’s okay, but he needs to get checked out. I can’t call them now. I can’t risk them stopping me or figuring out what’s going on before I get there.”

“What happens to me if you both die, Billy?” Max wondered.

“Jim gets you,” Billy told her, starting to cry himself. “I talked to him about it after Neil showed up for the first time.” He paused. “Look, kid. I love you. I’m sorry I was such a dick to you before. I’m going to do my best to get Robin back and get out of there alive. But I have to be prepared for the worst. You know that, right?”

“I know,” she whispered. “But don’t be stupid, Billy. Please. Try to come back, all right?” She swallowed back a sob and added, “I love you too.”

He nodded. “I’m going now.”

He hung up and ran for his car, revving the engine and flooring it, peeling out of the parking lot. He had no idea what he was walking into, but it didn’t matter.

He was going to save Robin, no matter what.

The Brimborn Steelworks was on the edge of town. It had been shut down and abandoned since before he’d arrived in Hawkins. He drove as fast as he could, hoping he didn’t run into any cops on the way.

His car skidded on the gravel outside the building as he fishtailed to a stop. There was only one door that he could see, so he ran for it. It banged open, ringing hollowly as he went inside.

He couldn’t see anything in the darkness. “I’m here!” he screamed. “So come and get me! Leave her alone and come and get me!”

There was a click, followed by a buzzing sound. A light flickered on in front of him. Illuminated in its bright circle was Robin. She was gagged and bound and tied to a chair.

Billy ran forward without thinking. She was struggling, trying to say something against the gag, but she was too far away to hear, especially with her voice muffled.

He realized his mistake when he felt something hit him in the back of the head and he pitched forward, falling into the dirt that covered the floor inside.

****

Robin screamed against the gag around her mouth as she watched Billy fall. She’d been trying to tell him it was a trap, but he hadn’t understood. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Matt drag Billy across the floor and lay him down in front of her.

He dragged another chair over to the circle of light, setting it up in front of her. Then he lifted Billy into it, grunting with the effort. Once Billy was seated, Matt tied his hands behind him and his feet to each chair leg, just like he’d done to her.

He moved between them, bending down in front of Billy. Robin heard him slap Billy across the face. “Wake up, Mr. Hargrove,” Matt sang. “I have something for you.”

Robin’s eyes widened as he pulled a syringe out of a small bag he’d set to the side earlier when he was tying her up. She started to shriek against her gag, getting his attention, wanting to know what it was.

Matt turned and pulled her gag down. “You can’t warn him now,” he pointed out. “What is it you have to say?”

“What is that?” she asked desperately, glancing at the syringe.

“You’ll find out momentarily. He’s waking up.” Matt turned to Billy, grasping his chin roughly between his fingers and yanking his head up. Billy’s eyes almost crossed as he tried to focus on the syringe, which Matt was now holding in front of his face.

“This is truth serum,” he explained. “My own personal recipe. A potent drug cocktail that lowers inhibitions and makes it impossible for you to lie. I’m going to give it to you, and then Robin will know once and for all what you really think of her.”

“No!” Robin yelled, wincing as Matt jammed the syringe into Billy’s neck.

Billy groaned and his head lolled forward as Matt took the needle out. Robin pulled on her bonds as hard as she could, straining so much that her arms started to hurt. “Why did you do that?” she begged. “What do you think it’s going to prove?”

“It’s going to prove that he doesn’t love you, my dearest Robin. That he doesn’t care about you. That he’s just using you.”

He turned back to Billy, holding his face again so Robin could see it. He looked out of it, his eyes lidded, his pupils dilated, the ocean blue color almost not visible at the rim of the black.

“He’s ready,” Matt told her, grinning.

Matt slapped him again, and Billy groaned again as Matt held him up by his hair.

“I’ve dosed you with truth serum, Billy,” he informed him. “You can’t lie. Now tell me what you really think about Robin.”

“Robin?” Billy mumbled.

Then his eyes focused on her. She stared back at him, swallowing hard.

Shockingly, he smiled. “I love Robin,” he murmured.

Matt’s mouth set in a hard line. “What?” he whispered angrily.

“I love Robin,” Billy repeated, slightly slurring his words, oblivious to Matt’s anger. “I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I’d do anything to protect her. I’d die to protect her.”

“Liar!” Matt screamed, dropping Billy.

Billy’s chin hit his chest. Robin’s heart felt like it was about to burst. This man who thought he loved her had tried to prove that Billy’s feelings weren’t real, but instead he’d proved the exact opposite.

She’d known already, of course, but now she knew that their love really was strong enough to survive anything. Even this.

“You said he couldn’t lie,” she told Matt calmly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he growled, angrily untying Billy.

He grabbed Billy and dragged him to a nearby office, tossing him inside and locking him in. Then he came back over to Robin, bending down and looking her in the face.

“Don’t be so smug,” he cautioned her. “It still doesn’t matter. Because I’m going to kill him.”

She started to struggle again. “I won’t let you,” she insisted.

“You don’t have a choice,” he retorted. “I’m going to kill him,” he sneered. “Right in front of you. And then if you don’t decide to obey me, I’ll kill you too.”


	20. With or Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy saves Robin, but the cost might be too high for her to bear.

Billy’s eyes blinked open. His head was throbbing. He felt like each of his limbs weighed about a thousand pounds. And he was hot. Why was it so hot?

He lurched to his feet, bending over for a moment to keep his head from spinning. When he straightened up again, he unbuttoned the top of his work overalls, letting them hang at his waist, feeling cool air wash over his bare arms.

He blew out a breath and went to the door, jiggling the handle. It was locked, and the window was dirty. He wiped it off with his arm and peered through it.

Robin was out there, and that man, M. F., whoever the fuck he was, was touching her. He couldn’t allow that. He didn’t know what this man wanted, but he didn’t really care. He wasn’t getting it.

He wasn’t getting her.

He hit the window of the door with his fist experimentally. It was thick, but he thought if he hit it hard enough, he could get through it.

He felt sluggish, but he wasn’t going to give up. He pulled his fist back and hit the window as hard as he could.

He heard the glass crack, so he pulled back and hit it again. Then again. Then again.

His knuckles were bloody and his fist was aching, but he hit it one more time. His arm burst through the glass. He felt the ragged edges of the window scratch his skin, but he ignored it, reaching for the door handle and unlocking it.

M. F. was walking towards him when he pulled his arm back through the door and then slammed out of it. His adrenaline was pumping now, and he was feeling less foggy.

“Get away from her!” he shouted, even though the man had already walked away from Robin. “If you hurt her, I’ll fucking gut you!”

Normally, Billy would have had the upper hand in a fight like this. The man was slightly taller than him, but he was skinnier with far less muscle definition.

But he was drugged. His reaction time was slow.

He misjudged his first punch, missing and stumbling as he threw it. The man retaliated by kicking him in the gut and he fell onto all fours, wheezing.

He heard a clunk and raised his head. Robin had managed to make her chair fall over, and she was struggling to get free. The man turned back to her and Billy took the opportunity to grab his leg and trip him so he fell to the floor.

He pulled himself to his feet, dragging the man across the floor by his leg, then tossing him in the office and locking the door.

He’d be able to get out because of the hole Billy had left in the window, but it might buy him enough time to get to Robin. His best chance was to untie her and get them to the car. Jim and the police could do the rest.

Billy ran across the floor to Robin. He wasn’t moving very fast, or in a straight line, but at least something was happening.

He fell to his knees beside her, untying her hands so she could help with her legs.

“Billy, are you all right?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine, Robin. We have to move. Go!”

But before she could, she screamed, “Look out!”

Billy turned, not prepared at all for the punch to the face. He fell back, blinking rapidly, trying not to give in to the urge to close his eyes.

Robin stood up next to him, yelling loudly and swinging the chair in a circle. She caught M. F. with it and he fell. She dropped the chair and then grabbed Billy, trying to get him up.

“Billy, I need you to move!” he heard next. “I can’t hold you and move at the same time.”

He tried to move. He tried. But everything was getting fuzzy again, and he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to hang on.

****

Robin was buckling under Billy’s weight. “Billy, please!” she begged. “I need you to move, Billy, I need you to hang on.”

They had to get out of here. Matt was already getting up off of the floor again. As he straightened, Robin lowered Billy to the floor and charged Matt instead. If she could get him out of the way, she could work on getting Billy out of here next.

Matt grabbed her, swinging her and slamming her into the floor. She screamed as she felt the needle of the syringe slam into her leg. Instead of depressing it, though, he just dragged it. She felt it slicing roughly through the flesh of her leg until the needle snapped off.

She rolled over and blindly kicked, hearing him scream. But then he was on top of her, his hands around her throat. She pulled at his wrists, struggling to breathe.

Matt had obviously given up on her. Despite whatever he thought he felt, he had decided she wasn’t worth the trouble. In his eyes, she couldn’t be redeemed, so she had to be removed.

Dimly, she heard someone yell, “Hey, asshole!”

Then colors exploded across her vision. At first, she thought that this was it. She was dying.

Then she realized she was seeing fireworks. They were going off all around the Steelworks, hitting the ceiling, walls, and floor haphazardly.

Suddenly, Matt’s hands weren’t on her neck anymore. Then she heard a grunt as Billy managed to heave himself up and onto Matt.

She sat up, breathing hard, wondering what was happening. Billy was on top of Matt, punching him over and over and over again. Fireworks were exploding all around them.

She tried to stand, but immediately fell back down. Her leg felt like it was on fire, and when she looked, she saw that blood was gushing down it. It was warm against her skin.

All the fireworks flashing made her feel like someone was driving a spike directly through the center of her forehead. She turned over, trying to use her arms to crawl to Billy.

Then she felt hands on her, helping her up. “It’s okay, Robin. We’ve got you,” Max said.

“Got you,” El repeated.

“Billy…” she rasped, her voice hoarse.

Then he was in front of her, reaching down and picking her up. Something exploded behind them as a firework sent it up in flames.

“Everybody out! Come on!”

“Who is that?” Robin asked.

“The Party,” Max explained. “We all came for you.”

Billy strode quickly for the door. The kids pushed it open in front of them.

Robin was momentarily blinded by the swirling red and blue lights pulling up all around them. For a moment, she was relieved. They’d gotten out. They were safe.

Then Billy collapsed underneath her. She scrambled off of him, kneeling down beside him.

It was only then that she saw the blood soaking through his shirt on both sides of his chest. She quickly pulled his tank top up, gasping when she saw his wounds.

He’d been stabbed twice. The edges of each opening were ragged. She was guessing that Matt had stabbed him with the glass of the syringe.

Billy coughed. There was blood around his lips, but she couldn’t tell if his mouth was actually bleeding, or just his face.

“Billy,” she murmured, reaching up to cradle his head in her hands. “Billy, look at me. Billy, you’re fine. You’re going to be fine.”

“Over here!” Max hollered, waving. “The paramedics are coming, Billy,” she explained, going pale when she actually looked at him. “Holy shit. Is he going to be all right?”

“Of course he is,” Robin insisted. “He is. Billy…”

He smiled up at her, lifting his hand to touch her face. Max grabbed his other. “Just hang on, Billy,” she whispered.

He was crying, his tears streaking clean lines down his face through the dirt and blood.

“I’m sorry, Robin,” he told her.

She shook her head adamantly. “Sorry for what, Billy?”

“Leaving you both alone. But you’re safe now. You’ll be all right, even without me.”

She kept shaking her head, her vision entirely blurred by tears. “No, Billy. You’re not leaving me. We’re getting married, remember? We’re having babies. You don’t get to leave me now.”

“Don’t be afraid, Robin,” he whispered. “It will all be over soon.”

“Nothing’s over, Billy,” she protested. He wasn’t making sense, and that worried her more than anything. “Except for the nightmare. Everything bad that was against us is gone now. From now on, all we have to do is be happy.”

He took a deep, rasping breath. “I love you. I’m sorry,” he repeated.

Then his eyes closed, his hand fell, and Robin started to scream.


	21. Never Gonna Give You Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin wakes up in the hospital.

She woke slowly. Dimly, she heard Max’s voice. “She’s awake!”

“Careful, kid. She’s been through a lot,” Hopper murmured.

Her head felt foggy and her tongue felt thick in her mouth. Parts of her body were throbbing with pain.

Why was she in pain, though? For a moment, she couldn’t remember. Then the memories came rushing back, waking her up completely.

She shot up and opened her eyes all the way. She was in the hospital. Hopper and Max were standing at the end of her bed.

“Billy,” she whispered hoarsely. “Where’s Billy? He’s alive, isn’t he? He can’t be… he can’t be…”

Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Hopper was telling her to calm down, but she couldn’t. Not until she knew.

Then she felt a hand reach over and take hers. It was big and warm and comforting, and she knew who it belonged to without even looking.

“Breathe, Robin,” Billy said quietly, squeezing her hand. “Just breathe for me, okay?”

She turned to look at him. He was in the bed next to hers. He looked a little worse for wear, but he was there. He was sitting up and talking to her.

She managed to catch her breath, but then she burst into tears. “I thought you were dead, Billy,” she cried.

He laid down on his side, never looking away from her, never letting go of her hand. “Lay down, Robin. Don’t cry, all right? Just breathe and relax.”

She obeyed, curling up on her side, her fingers squeezing his. She used her other hand to wipe at her tears, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.

He smiled at her, nodding. “That’s it, Robin. Everything’s okay.”

“How?” she asked softly. “You were bleeding so much. You said goodbye to me.”

He grimaced briefly. “Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I…” he paused, taking a deep breath before he continued. “I felt like I was going, Robin. And I didn’t want to go without saying something to you to make you feel better about it.”

“You idiot,” she murmured. But she was smiling as she said it. “You know nothing would do that, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

She glanced at Hopper and Max, who were still standing at the end of her bed. “What happened?” she asked. “I’m still fuzzy on the details.”

Hopper cleared his throat just as a nurse came in. As she fussed over both of them, Billy softly requested that he and Robin be allowed to share a bed.

While the nurse clearly wanted to resist, she gave in after Robin told her that it would help her relax. She cautioned them not to get any of their cords or IVs tangled together after getting them situated, then left them alone again.

Billy sat up as much as he could, letting Robin lean against him. She made sure not to put too much weight on him since he was hurt.

“Jim?” Billy prompted him. “You were about to explain?”

Robin tilted her head up and looked at him. “You don’t already know?”

Billy shook his head. “I haven’t been awake much longer than you,” he answered, kissing her forehead. “I asked Jim to wait until we could all hear it together.” He patted the open spot beside him on the bed. “Come on, Max.”

She came over and sat down, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. She smiled at Robin. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she told her.

Robin smiled at her. “Me too, kiddo.”

“Is it my turn yet?” Hopper grumbled playfully, winking at them.

They all chuckled. “Go ahead, Jim,” Billy offered, settling in to listen.

“Matt Freeland was his name,” he started.

“Was?” Robin interrupted.

Hopper nodded. “He’s dead.”

Billy tightened against her, looking disturbed. “I killed someone?” he murmured.

Hopper shook his head. “No, son. You didn’t. I’ll get to that.”

Robin squeezed him comfortingly as Hopper continued. “He was a reporter for the Hawkins Post. He did a piece on you, Robin, right after you started your business.”

“I recognized him in the garage,” she confirmed. “When he killed Neil.”

“That’s the only part I’m a little hazy on,” Hopper admitted. “You’ll have to help me fill in some blanks there. Anyway, um, we went to his house after finding him at the Steelworks. We found a… shrine to you in his bedroom. Pictures, uh… plans.”

Robin went pale and swallowed hard. “You… don’t have to tell me anything else. Please.”

Hopper sighed in relief. “Thank you. He was obviously obsessed with you. We found journals where he recorded everything he thought about you. Observations about your mood, how vulnerable you were. I looked through the most recent ones and, uh…”

Robin shuddered. Billy pulled her closer and pressed his lips to her forehead. “It’s okay, Robin. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“I know, Billy.” She looked up at Hopper. “He told me he’d been planning to approach me right before Billy arrived in town. He said he thought I was more vulnerable than I’d ever been. But then Billy moved in and I met him first. He said that Billy took his spot, basically.” She paused and then whispered, “Thank goodness.”

“That fits with what we found, yes. After a little while, he decided he had to get Billy out of the way so he could reclaim you, so to speak. That’s when he called Neil.”

Max sat up a little straighter. “He called Neil?” she hissed, her mouth tightening into a straight line as she got angry.

“He told me in the garage,” Robin added, reaching across Billy to hold Max’s hand along with him. “He thought Neil would drive Billy away, maybe even kill him. He implied that he couldn’t control him, though, and that he had to come forward in order to make sure I was safe.”

“So he followed you to the garage?” Hopper prompted.

Robin nodded. “Yes. He waited until Joe and I were the only ones there. He drugged Joe’s coffee.” Her eyes suddenly went wide. “Joe! Is he okay?”

“He’s just fine. Spooked and more ready to retire than ever, but fine,” Hopper assured her.

She sighed. “Good. I would have felt horrible if something had happened to him.” She shuddered. “I heard Joe fall. I thought maybe he was having a heart attack, so I went out into the garage to check on him. Then Neil confronted me. He had a knife, but before he could use it on me, Matt used one on him.”

“So that’s one good thing he did his whole life,” Billy muttered. “He’s still going straight to Hell.”

“Agreed,” Max muttered back.

“That’s when I realized who he was,” Robin admitted. “I hadn’t even thought about it before because when he interviewed me, he didn’t do anything unusual, and I hadn’t seen him since. I guess he’d seen me, though.”

“So he took you and left you the note Billy showed us after?” Hopper confirmed.

“Yes. I was trying to cooperate at first, maybe get him to slip up or stay too long, but the things he was saying… I just couldn’t.”

“It’s all right,” Billy soothed her. “You didn’t have any obligation to go along with him.”

“I should have tried harder, Billy,” she argued. “You thought that us being in danger was your fault because of Neil. But it was mine. It was Matt who called Neil. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t been obsessed with me.”

“You can’t think like that, Robin,” Billy answered calmly. “It’s not your fault that he thought those things about you. Not at all.”

“Billy’s right,” Hopper added. “You never did anything to encourage him, and even if you had, he obviously took it way too far.”

“How did he, um, die?” Billy wondered nervously.

“Smoke inhalation, actually,” Hopper said decisively. “There was some funky stuff stored in the Steelworks before it was abandoned, and by the time we got him out of there, it was too late.”

“And me, uh… punching him… didn’t have anything to do with that?”

Hopper shook his head. “No, they don’t think so. Besides, son, he worked both you and Robin over pretty badly. No one’s blaming you for defending yourself.”

Robin yawned and snuggled closer to Billy. “Are we both fine?” she wondered.

Hopper nodded. “A bit scraped up, sure, but yeah, both of you are going to be all right. I want you to rest for a few days, though. Joyce and Karen have volunteered to help out while you relax a little.”

“That’s sweet of them,” Robin murmured.

She was trying valiantly to keep her eyes from shutting, but wasn’t having much success. She felt Hopper pat her leg comfortingly.

“I’ll take Max. She and El can hang out, and I’ll make sure she goes to school. Is that okay, kiddo?”

“Will you two be okay without me?” she asked.

Billy chuckled and ruffled her hair as Robin smiled at her, blinking rapidly to stay awake. “Yeah, kiddo. You can come visit us whenever you want. It’s still your home, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” She grinned. “Okay. Both of you get some rest,” she said sternly.

“Mmhmm,” Robin agreed, finally shutting her eyes completely.

“Sure thing, kid. Let us know if you need anything, all right?” Billy answered. “We love you.”

“I love you both too. See you later, okay?”

Robin heard Hopper and Max leave. They shut the light off for them on the way. Billy sighed and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead gently.

“Rest, Robin. We’re safe now. Everything’s going to be okay. I love you.”

“I know it will, Billy. I love you too.”

She drifted off peacefully, smiling to herself as she realized that they could finally start living their life together.


	22. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy asks Robin a very important question.

Billy smiled as Robin waved to him while she walked across the school parking lot. The kids had just gotten back from a field trip and she had played chaperone while Billy worked. Now Max was off for another sleepover at El’s, so Billy had special plans for the night.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before she slipped into the car. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. The past few weeks with her had been absolute bliss. With no one in the way of their relationship anymore, they were free to figure out what the rest of their lives were going to look like, and what he was about to do was just a step in a direction they’d already decided on.

Deep down, though, he thought he was just afraid that one day she would wake up and realize that she could do better than him, despite how much his circumstances had changed recently.

Joe had opted for early retirement after recovering. Shockingly, he had offered the garage to Billy. When Billy had wondered why, Joe had explained that the other guys who worked for him were older and had no interest in running a business, but he thought Billy could really make a go of it. After talking it over with Robin, he’d accepted. Just last week, Joe had signed everything over to him, so the garage was officially his.

He was thrilled to be able to help provide for his family. Robin’s business was still doing well, and she had already talked with him about possible expansions in the future, which he was all for. He was ridiculously proud of her, but he was also glad that the burden wouldn’t be entirely on her shoulders.

“Are we going home soon?” she teased, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

He suddenly realized that he’d just been sitting there thinking. He laughed to himself and smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, we are. Sorry. Lost in thought, I guess.”

“I could tell,” she answered, threading their fingers together. “What’s on your mind?”

“You’ll know when we get home,” he answered lightly, trying to be casual.

“Oh?” she wondered curiously. “Are you trying to surprise me, Billy?”

“Maybe,” he chuckled.

She mimed zipping her lips, smiling at him giddily. “Okay.”

They fell into a comfortable silence after that.

It was strange. Billy had worried that they would have a hard time being around each other after what had happened. Not because they didn’t care for each other, but because he was afraid that it would just constantly bring up bad memories.

But the only time he really even remembered what they went through that vividly was when he saw their scars. She had one on her leg where the needle had gone into it and been dragged. He had one on the arm he’d shoved through the glass of the door. Still, the most prominent thought he had when he saw them was that he was so glad she was still with him. The fear and the violence seemed miles behind them, and he intended to make it stay there.

He parked in the garage and came around to her door to let her out. Once she was standing, he shut the door and pulled her back against his chest, kissing her neck and making her giggle. “Cover your eyes, Robin,” he whispered.

She obediently covered her eyes. He waved his hand in front of her face a few times to make sure she couldn’t see, then steered her inside.

As they headed into the living room from the kitchen, he flipped on the lights, admiring his handiwork briefly. “Okay,” he instructed her. “Open them.”

As soon as she did, she gasped. He grinned and squeezed her waist between his hands. The red, orange, blue, and green Christmas lights reflected onto them, covering them in a kaleidoscope of color.

He’d arranged them to spell out MARRY ME?

She turned in his arms, her eyes shining. “Billy, really?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he’d found for her. It was small and simple, but he knew she’d like it. And he was already thinking of getting her a bigger one for an anniversary down the road.

“Really, Robin. I… never imagined ever finding someone like you. I thought I was running away from Neil, but now I think I was really running towards you. I just didn’t know it.”

She sniffled and a tear fell down her cheek. He wiped it away and slipped the ring on her finger. She smiled widely and hooked an arm around his neck. “I didn’t say yes yet,” she reminded him playfully.

“Then say it now,” he murmured, smiling back.

“Yes, Billy. I’ll marry you.”

They both leaned in, meeting in the middle to kiss. Billy could still hardly believe she was agreeing to be his, but he finally felt complete.

Well, almost. He knew their family would get bigger someday, and he couldn’t wait for that. But, for now, Robin and Max were enough.


	23. You Shook Me All Night Long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin finally have their wedding.

Robin rested her head on Billy’s shoulder as they danced, closing her eyes and leaning against him. He had a soft smile on his face. It had been an absolutely perfect day so far, and it was only going to get more perfect.

He ran his hand over the prominent curve of her belly and kissed her forehead. “You look so gorgeous in your dress,” he murmured.

She giggled. “You’ve told me that about a million times today, Billy.”

“Of course I have. A woman should always be told that she’s beautiful on her wedding day.”

“Even when she’s seven months pregnant?” she wondered.

“Especially when she’s seven months pregnant,” he confirmed. “You’re more stunning than you’ve ever been.”

She pulled his head down to hers for a kiss. “You are so full of shit, Billy Hargrove,” she laughed.

He laughed along with her. “Just telling the truth, Mrs. Hargrove.”

“I like the sound of that,” she sighed.

“Me too,” he agreed. “You ready to get off your feet?”

“God, yes.”

He chuckled. “Let’s go, then. You can nap while I drive.”

“Okay, Billy.”

They said goodbye to Max and snuck away from the party. Hopper was going to shut it down once it really started to taper off, but until then, they hadn’t wanted to deprive anyone of a good time, especially since it wasn’t even noon yet. After, Max would spend a few days with him and El while Billy and Robin were away on their honeymoon.

Billy helped her up into his truck. He still had the Camaro, but it was too hard for Robin to get into right now, and there certainly wasn’t room for a baby in it.

“Comfortable?” he asked as he joined her in the driver’s seat.

“Mmhmm,” she nodded, sliding across the seat to snuggle against him as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Good.”

It was a long drive to Rhode Island, but Billy had wanted to take her to the ocean. They were going to stop that night at a nice hotel, then drive the rest of the way tomorrow. That was why they’d had their ceremony so early. They’d wanted to have plenty of time to drive for the rest of the day.

They made a few stops throughout the drive, one for food. They ate in the car so they wouldn’t lose any time. When they arrived at the hotel, they checked in and immediately went up to their room. It was early evening, but they’d never planned to really explore any amenities the hotel had to offer outside of their room anyway.

“I’m going to go change,” she told him, leaning up and giving him a quick kiss.

“Change?” he wondered. “I’m just going to take it off of you, Mrs. Hargrove.”

He winked at her, pulling her close and keeping her there, kissing her harder. She sighed softly. “I know. But I got something pretty.”

Billy nodded. Of course he was going to indulge her. He’d give her anything. “Can I help you take your dress off?”

She nodded back. “Yes. But I want to put it on myself and surprise you.”

“Deal,” he assured her. “Come on.”

He undid her dress gently, brushing his fingers and lips over her skin as he went. When he pushed it to the floor, he helped her step out of it.

As he straightened back up, he noticed that she had her hand pressed to her belly. “He’s moving,” she told him.

Billy moved back over to her, sliding his fingers between hers so they could feel it together. Billy’s smile widened as he felt the kicking.

“He’s getting stronger,” Robin observed.

“Does it hurt?”

He had never realized how difficult being pregnant was. Thankfully, nothing unusual had happened, and Robin had weathered everything very well, but a lot of it was still scary, so he was constantly worried about her.

She shook her head. “No, not yet. Probably soon, though.”

As he frowned, she leaned up to kiss him again. “It’s okay, Billy. It’s fine. I’m fine. I promise, all right?”

“All right.” He kissed her back, smiling as she started to unbutton his shirt. “Are we starting without you changing?” he asked, sliding his hand around to squeeze her bottom.

She giggled. “No. I just think you should wait for me naked.”

“Oh, I see.”

He slipped off his jacket as she pulled his shirt free, pushing it off of his shoulders and then pulling his undershirt over his head. He stepped out of his shoes as she started working on his pants.

“No underwear, even on our wedding day?” she teased.

“Gotta keep up what little of my reputation I’ve got left,” he teased back.

He bent to pick everything off of the floor, removing his socks at the same time. “I’ll wait for you out there, okay? Just let me know if you need help.”

She nodded as he turned and headed out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, taking their clothes with him so he could hang them up.

Once he was done with that, he sat down on the bed to wait, leaning back on his forearms and blowing out a breath. It was nice to have a moment to breathe. Between recovering from their injuries, continuing to build up one business, getting and revamping another, raising Max, and preparing for a baby, they were both wiped.

Still, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He’d rather be busy building a good life than doing anything else.

He glanced up as she came back into the room, sitting up when he saw how beautiful she looked. Her hair was still pinned up from the wedding, but now her skin was flushed pink with excitement, the color easily visible against the white lingerie she was wearing.

His reaction to her was obvious since he was naked. “You are so beautiful, Mrs. Hargrove,” he murmured, holding his hand out for her.

She giggled and blushed, coming to stand between his spread legs. “You’re never going to get tired of saying that, are you?”

“Nope,” he confirmed.

He smiled up at her, sliding his hands over her hips, squeezing them gently as he started to kiss over the curve of her belly. She put her hands in his hair, shivering as his lips brushed over her skin.

He had been surprised to learn that they could still have sex while she was pregnant. The idea had made him incredibly nervous at first, but after a few tries, he’d gotten used to it. Now he actually very much enjoyed it.

He would also be lying if he didn’t acknowledge that it stroked his ego a bit. He had already been incredibly proud of the fact that she had chosen him, and having everyone know she was pregnant with his baby took it one step further.

He slid his hands up over her sides until he reached her breasts. They were a little bigger now, firmer, and swollen a bit, thanks to pregnancy. He squeezed them lightly through the white lace, which was delicate. It didn’t take much to pull the cups away from her skin, since they were already hardly holding her in at all.

He stood and moved her so she could sit down. He knew it was more comfortable for her right now. She leaned back on her arms gratefully as he sat back down beside her, squeezing her breasts again, lightly circling her tightening nipples, gratified when her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned.

He let one hand drop to her belly, rubbing gently as he slowly sucked a nipple into his mouth. She gasped as he moved his other hand around to her back to support her, sucking harder.

Over the past several months, he had learned exactly how to please her. Not that he hadn’t known before, but he was better at it now. He could tell when she wanted it rough and when she was willing to take it slow. He could tell when she wanted to keep going and push her limits even after multiple orgasms and when she wanted to just cuddle and rest.

Tonight in particular, he knew she’d been holding back all day. She’d been intensely sexual ever since her morning sickness had stopped, and when they weren’t having sex, she still wanted to be touching him. She was always tucked into his side or sitting on his lap. He loved it, which was a strange sensation, because he’d never thought he’d enjoy someone being that close to him all the time.

He looked up at her, switching breasts as he slid his hand down over her panties, finding her clit through the fabric. She tensed as he started to play with it, her thick thighs quivering. “Oh, yes, Billy!” she moaned, squirming against him.

There was a pretty ruffle on her panties, almost like a skirt. He could feel the soft fabric brushing against his fingers as he moved them in slow circles. She wasn’t going to hold out for long, he knew.

He kept sucking and rubbing. She tensed more, her hips rolling against his touch. Then she was panting and crying out his name as her orgasm washed over her.

He tipped her back, kissing his way up her neck to her mouth. He shifted her up on the bed so he could rest her head against the pillow, kissing her over and over as he unclasped her bra. As he dropped it on the floor, he kissed her one more time.

“You are gorgeous in this, Robin,” he murmured as he started to peel her underwear down. “But I want inside you now.”

“Yes, please, Billy,” she begged breathlessly.

He knelt between her legs after getting her underwear out of the way, pushing her thighs apart. She was wet and glistening for him, and it made him even harder just looking at her.

“God, I love you, Robin.”

“I love you, Billy.”

She groaned loudly as he slowly pushed inside her. He rocked his hips, easing himself into her, giving her time to adjust to him.

He missed being able to really be on top of her, but he pushed her legs up as far as he could get them so he could go as deep as possible, then reached down and cupped her bottom to hold her against him.

“Harder, Billy,” she urged him.

He gripped her a little harder. “Not too hard, Robin,” he cautioned.

“As hard as you can,” she moaned, arching her back, her breasts and belly bouncing as he started to move.

Even though he was comfortable having sex with her while she was pregnant now, he was still worried about being too rough with her, especially as she got bigger and closer to giving birth. He took a deep breath and adjusted his pace, thrusting as hard as he dared. He knew it wasn’t as hard as she wanted, but he needed to be careful.

He felt her hands on his chest, her fingers dancing over his hot skin, tracing his muscles. She gripped his biceps, hanging on as she shook. She was tight around him, and he knew she was close again.

“Come for me, Robin, please,” he rasped.

She nodded, biting her full lower lip, her breathing rising in pitch every time he drove into her. “Yes, yes, yes, Billy, yes!” she cried out, wailing as she came again.

He stayed deep inside her while she did, but made sure he didn’t come yet. He wasn’t quite ready for that, especially on their wedding night.

As soon as she was done, though, she was thinking about him. “Billy, you didn’t…”

“No, not yet. It’s okay. I want at least one more out of you.”

“Then let me be on top,” she requested.

He hesitated for a second. She didn’t want that often, and he loved it when she did, but he was afraid she’d overdo it and hurt herself.

“You’ll be careful?” he finally asked.

“I promise, Billy.”

“Okay.”

They shifted positions. He laid down on the bed on his back, helping her straddle his thighs, then lifting her as she grasped his cock, holding it steady so she could sink down on it.

He groaned as she braced her hands against his chest and started to ride him slowly. He loved the weight of her against him, and watching everything bounce while she moved. And he had to admit that there was something about being the one who wasn’t in control that turned him on.

As she started to go faster, he moved his hands from her hips to her breasts, squeezing them and tugging on her nipples. Her belly and ass bounced against him each time she moved down, and he was quickly losing his ability to hold back.

He always did when she was on top, and tonight, it was amplified. She was his wife. They were tied together legally, and it was strange, he thought, but that meant something to him, because it was purposeful. You couldn’t get married by accident. She had chosen him, and he would never cease to be amazed by that.

She was panting and moaning his name again. He was about to explode. “Robin, I’m going to…”

“I know,” she interrupted him. “Do it, Billy. Come inside me.”

She sat down on him hard and came around him, crying out loudly as he emptied himself inside her, his whole body tensing as he called out her name.

For a few minutes, they just sat there on the bed, both breathing heavily. Once Billy’s head was clear, though, he moved her off of him, making sure she was comfortable in the bed before getting something to clean them both off.

After, he arranged the blankets around both of them as he joined her in the bed. She snuggled up next to him, her back against his chest so he could keep one hand on her belly while they slept.

“Thank you, Billy,” she whispered. “I love you.”

He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I hope it was good enough,” he confessed worriedly.

“Of course it was,” she soothed him. “I know you just don’t want to hurt me or Eric.”

“I’ll make it up to you once you’ve had him and you’re ready for sex again,” he promised, nuzzling her affectionately.

She giggled. “Deal.”

“I love you too, Robin,” he murmured. “More than anything. I never thought I could love anyone so much.”

She turned onto her back a little so they could look into each other’s eyes. They had just used classic vows at their wedding to keep the ceremony short. Billy had honestly been afraid he’d just break down in front of everybody if they had written their own anyway. But now that they were alone, cocooned in the warmth of their bed, their bodies nestled against each other, he felt safe revealing his feelings.

He brushed his nose over hers and smiled softly. “You have given me everything. I didn’t even know I wanted it, but you believed from the beginning. You believed in me, and you believed in us, and I can never repay you for that. I wouldn’t have our home, my job, or our son without you, and I just…” He sniffled, trying valiantly not to cry. “Thank you,” he finally added before burying his face in her neck.

She held him close, stroking his back and hair comfortingly. “You don’t have to thank me, Billy,” she told him. “You gave me everything too. You believed in us enough to take a risk, even though you were afraid. You saved my life, and now…” Her hand found his on her belly and she rested her palm over it. “Now we’re making new life too.”

He raised his head to look at her again, sniffling once more and wiping away his tears. “I can’t believe it,” he admitted. “I’m so excited to meet him and hold him in my arms.”

“Soon, Billy.”

He nodded. “Are you scared?”

She shrugged. “A little. But you’ll be there with me.”

“For every second. I’m not going to let you do that alone.”

“Are you still going to deliver him?”

“Of course. I’m scared I’ll screw it up, but no one cares more about him than me and you, and you can’t do it.”

“You’ll do just fine. You’re the bravest, strongest person I know.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s you,” he argued.

“Agree to disagree,” she teased.

“I love you, Robin.”

“I love you too, Billy.”

They snuggled together again, closing their eyes and pulling the blankets tight around them. Billy forced himself to stay awake until she fell asleep, wanting to make sure that she was all right.

For the first time, he was truly content. As he drifted off next to her, he promised himself that he would never lose this feeling. He didn’t want to be alone ever again.


	24. Heaven is a Place on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin go to the beach.

They woke early the next morning to finish their drive to the beach. When they arrived, they checked into their hotel, changed, and headed out.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, so the sand was warm. According to Billy, the waves weren’t too high either.

He was excited because he wanted to swim. Robin, on the other hand, was intending to relax on the beach with a book. She’d always wanted to see the ocean and go into it, but being seven months pregnant changed a woman’s opinion about a lot of things, she’d come to realize.

Billy brought all of their things out to a spot close to the shore, then turned to help her the rest of the way across the beach. Once she was comfortably set up, he gave her a kiss.

“Is it really okay if I swim? I don’t want to leave you alone if you don’t want me to.”

“Go, Billy. It’s fine. I might dip my toes in later just to say I did.”

“I’ll come back and check on you soon, I promise.”

She giggled. “Okay, okay. Now go. I want to see those little red shorts in action.”

Billy laughed at the dig about his bathing suit, kissing her one more time before turning and running across the sand. She smiled, watching him as he went.

Once he hit the water, he was like a fish. He swam as far as he was allowed, diving down and popping back up.

When he started walking out of the water to make good on his promise and check on her, Robin noticed that every single woman on the beach was staring at her husband.

She understood why. He was all tan skin and defined muscle, and water was dripping down his legs after plastering his shorts to his impressive thighs. His normally carefully styled mullet was soaked, and he flung it back as he walked.

Robin raised her eyebrows when he swiped a few rogue strands back from his forehead, making his wedding ring glint in the sun. She quickly overheard more than a few women grumbling about him being taken.

She smiled up at him innocently as he perched on the chair beside her, drawing the attention of those sitting closest to them.

“What are you grinning about?” he teased, touching her bare belly and admiring her in her bikini.

Billy had picked out the bikini. Initially, she had protested, especially because she was pregnant, but now she was glad he’d begged. Even with the breeze coming off of the water, it was still hot.

“Oh, nothing,” she teased back. “Just all of these women staring at my beautiful husband.”

He had the good grace to blush as he glanced around and realized that she was right. “I didn’t even notice,” he said honestly, biting his lip. “I would have in the past.”

“Well, it’s lucky for me that I’m so amazing you don’t even want to look at anyone else.”

He laughed as she leaned forward and kissed him. His back straightened slightly as she lingered a little longer than she usually would in public.

“Staking a claim?” he murmured, winking at her when she finally pulled back.

She shrugged. “Maybe a little. Do you mind?”

He shook his head. “Nope,” he answered, leaning in for another kiss.

“Go swim some more,” she urged him. “I know you want to.”

“I wish you could come with me,” he admitted.

She smiled. “Well, maybe I could go in a little,” she gave in.

His eyes sparkled. “Really?”

She nodded. “Really. Help me up.”

He did, then led her to the water. Robin stood on the wet sand and let the waves wash over her feet. “It’s warm,” she observed, a little surprised.

“Because it’s such a nice day,” Billy explained.

They slowly moved in a little further. “Careful,” Billy cautioned. “Don’t go so far that your feet don’t touch the bottom.”

He held onto her tightly as she looked out over the water and smiled. “It’s beautiful, Billy. I see why you miss it.” She glanced sideways at him. “Do you ever want to live near the ocean again?”

He shrugged as he hugged her from behind, his hands cupping her belly under the water. “Maybe one day,” he admitted. “But I like where we are for now. We both have lives in Hawkins.”

Robin watched as a few people paddled out past them on surfboards. She remembered Billy telling her that he used to surf with his mom before she left. “Did you want to surf?” she asked quietly.

He sighed, kissing her cheek and then nuzzling her neck. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, honestly.” He paused, then added, “I think maybe I’d like to bring Eric here and teach him how to surf when he’s old enough. See if he loves it as much as I did. Maybe then it will feel… right.”

She turned her head to face him and smiled. “I think that’s perfect, Billy,” she agreed.

They stood there for a few more minutes. Then Billy helped Robin back to their spot. “Rest a little more, okay? We’ll get something to eat later, and then we’ll watch the sunset, okay?”

“I’d like that, Billy.”

He smoothed her hair back from her cheeks. “I love you, Robin.”

“I love you, Billy.”

He dropped his head and kissed her belly. “And I love you, little guy,” he murmured.

“Me too,” Robin added.

As he went to swim again, she leaned back and sighed, closing her eyes and letting the sun warm her. Everything was finally perfect, and she really believed it was going to stay that way forever.


	25. You Make My Dreams Come True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Robin live happily ever after.

“Billy!” Robin called from the kitchen, smiling as she looked out the window. “Max and Lucas are here!”

“About time!” he called back, coming into the kitchen.

She laughed as she saw that he was giving Eric a piggyback ride while still holding Maddie on his hip. She was always amazed at Billy’s patience with their children’s desire to hang all over him.

He grinned and came over to kiss her cheek, resting his hand on the slight curve of her belly. “You doing okay?” he wondered softly.

She nodded. “Everything’s almost ready. Just go let them in, okay?”

“I can’t believe she’s nineteen,” Billy groaned. “We’re going to have to go to their wedding soon.”

Robin nudged him playfully. “We had a baby on the way at their age,” she reminded him.

“Don’t give them any ideas,” he whispered. “Come on, kids. To the front door!”

Eric hollered along with his dad and Maddie let out a rare squeal as Billy rounded the corner just as the doorbell rang.

Robin kept working. It was the Fourth of July and everyone was coming over to their new home. They’d had to upgrade when she found out she was pregnant again, but she and Billy had both agreed that it was about time anyway. They were closer to where he worked, she finally had the big commercial kitchen that she wanted, and everyone would get their own room. They’d even have a few extra.

She could hear Eric giving Lucas a high five and Maddie chanting, “Auntie Max, up! Up!”

Every day made her smile now, and she already knew she would never have enough. As she heard everyone making their way to the kitchen, Max joked, “Still with the mullet, Billy? You know they’re not in fashion anymore, right? It’s the 90s now.”

“It’s my signature look,” Billy argued back, but he was chuckling.

“I want one too!” Eric announced loudly as they all entered the kitchen.

“We’ll see, little dude,” Billy said, ruffling Eric’s hair as he jumped down and ran to give Robin a hug.

“Hi, Mommy!” he greeted her. “What are you making?”

She bent to kiss his forehead. “A bunch of your favorite things,” she told him. “And a lot more.”

“Yay!”

He hugged her leg while she continued to cook. Max carried Maddie into the kitchen and whistled as she looked around. “Now this is a kitchen, woman,” she teased.

“Right, though?” Robin swept her arms around the space. “I designed it myself.”

“Are you guys ever going to stop having kids?” Lucas wondered as he came in behind her with a few bags.

He set them on the counter as Billy shook his head, sliding his arm around Robin and reaching down to ruffle Eric’s hair again. “I think we need at least one more. Nice even number, you know?”

Robin rolled her eyes. “We’ll see,” she admonished him, even though they both already knew she’d be up for another.

“You’re gonna stop after that, though, right?” Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you worried about?” Billy laughed. “You’re already in college and we’re paying for it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Max rolled her eyes just like Robin had a moment ago. “Thanks, by the way.”

Billy moved over to her and gave her a hug. “You’re welcome, kiddo.”

The doorbell rang again. “That should be Jim and Karen,” Robin told Billy. “Can you get the grill ready once they’re in? They’re going to set up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Billy answered, stepping over for one more quick kiss before he went back to the front door.

About an hour later, long food tables were set up in the backyard. Everyone had brought at least one thing to contribute, and Robin had made sure nothing else was missing. Billy was grilling hamburgers, bratwurst, and hot dogs. He’d become quite accomplished in the kitchen over the past few years, and he was very proud of himself.

All of the guests had arrived and were spreading blankets out in the backyard. The kids were running around and playing games while the adults talked. When Robin came out with the last dish and confirmed that all the guests had arrived, they called the kids to get fed first. Moms and dads helped make plates while Billy got swarmed at the grill by kids begging for hamburgers and hot dogs. Robin helped him with buns and condiments.

Once the kids were set, the adults descended. Billy made Robin go sit down and wait while he brought her her food. She was grateful. She’d been on her feet all day.

She lowered herself onto their blanket, stretching out and basking in the sun while she waited. Eric and Maddie were already eating with the other kids. Max and Lucas joined her next. Not long after, Billy arrived with two plates. He set them both down by her, then went back to get his own.

Lucas eyed her three bratwurst and plate full of sides and raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to eat all of that?”

Billy returned, sitting down beside her, squeezing her shoulder and kissing her cheek. “Her morning sickness finally stopped. Let her eat as much as she wants.”

Max punched Lucas in the shoulder for good measure. “Yeah. Don’t be a dick, dude.”

“All right, all right,” he muttered, shoving half of a hamburger in his face so he didn’t say anything else.

After they ate, the kids and a few of the adults played games. Billy led a crew in tidying up before dessert was brought out in time for the fireworks the city was setting off. Jim had snuck off to supervise the event, but otherwise, everyone else had stayed.

Eric ran over to sit next to Robin as Billy returned to the blanket. Maddie was fast asleep in his arms. As he sat down, he brushed a dirty blonde curl out of her face and grinned at Robin. “Knew she wasn’t going to make it to the fireworks,” he observed.

“I stayed awake, Daddy!” Eric announced proudly, his ocean blue eyes shining.

“Yeah, you did, kiddo. Remind me tomorrow when you sleep in until noon,” Billy replied.

“I’m going to tell my new brother or sister what the fireworks look like,” Eric continued, sliding down and resting his head on his mother’s belly.

She smiled and ruffled his light brown hair. It still amused her that Eric had ended up with her hair and Billy’s eyes while Maddie had ended up with the reverse. She wondered what their third would look like.

Billy put his arm around her as the first firework exploded. “It’s a green one,” Eric murmured to her belly.

She turned to Billy and they both smiled. He kissed her nose, then her lips. “It’s a red one,” Eric said, making them both laugh.

He lasted about halfway through the fireworks before he fell asleep. Max and Lucas had gone off to a reunion of The Party. Billy shifted both of the kids into his lap, then put his arm around Robin and let her lean against him.

“Perfect day,” he whispered to her. “Thank you.”

“You too. We did it together.”

“Always,” he assured her.

The last firework exploded, but they didn’t move. Instead, they just sat, enjoying each other’s closeness and the serenity of the evening.

They finally went back inside after everybody else had left. They put the kids to bed, then went to check on the kitchen. It was mostly clean, so Billy leaned against the counter, grabbing a cookie off of one of the trays and raising his eyebrows at her, winking as he brought it up to his mouth and ran his tongue along its edge.

“What are you doing?” Robin asked.

“Sexily eating a cookie to entice you to come to bed with me,” he answered, as though it were obvious.

“First of all, that is not how you sexily eat a cookie,” Robin pointed out. “Second of all, you know we can’t make another baby until I’ve had this one, right?”

Billy chuckled. “If you say so.”

He moved forward, putting one arm under her knees so he could lift her up and carry her to their bedroom. She giggled happily as he started to kiss her, twining their fingers together so he could hold her down once he had her on the bed.

He stopped for a moment to admire the new ring he’d gotten her for their last anniversary. It was big and sparkly and extravagant, just like he’d wanted it, even though she’d protested that it was far too much.

He kissed her knuckle right above it now. “I love you, Mrs. Hargrove,” he purred, digging his hips into hers.

She made a happy little sound and leaned up to kiss him. “I love you, Mr. Hargrove.”

They melted into each other, just like they did every night. Robin had never imagined that she could be this content, but she knew they both deserved it. And even if there were more bumps coming on their road, she completely believed that they could get through anything, as long as they had each other.

**THE END**


End file.
